The Hero of Arendelle City
by Caterall
Summary: When Elsa Noble returns as the CEO of the Noble Corporation after years abroad, she discovers justice in her city has fallen in favour of corruption. As she tries to rebuild her relationship with her sister and return the city to it's former wealth, she soon finds herself rising as an unlikely hero with a gift she never wanted. Superhero AU.
1. Prologue

**Frozen did always seem it could easily have turned into a superhero film, so here's my first go at writing with the idea. The first few chapters will be exposition mostly, but I hope they will be enjoyable nonetheless. Here goes. **

**DISCLAIMER: The story of Frozen and all its characters belong to Disney. I just played with setting and plot a bit.**

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><p>Elsa Noble had never been able to experience the average childhood. This was not because of her family wealth, nor was it due to the vast expanse of her intellect. Indeed, if she were to ever point to any one factor in her life and say 'This is the sole reason why I am not remotely like anyone else'; it would, perhaps fittingly, be her curiously developed ability of cryokinesis.<p>

Of course, one should never overlook the other conditions which set her apart from the herd. Elsa, the eldest child of Adgar and Idunn Noble, was born into a family possessing all the wealth she would ever need to support herself, a mansion set into a hundred acres of land with a full complement of household staff and all imaginable personal costs she could ever encounter. It had not gone unnoticed by her that she resided within these non-existent economic constraints at even the earliest age, although she had a complex relationship with this fact to say the least. On the one hand she did not enjoy the apparently negative portrayal this granted her from the few of her own age she had encountered, who were reserved to life in the lower tax brackets of the local area. If she could give up all the riches her family had gathered just to be accepted by the repulsed contemporaries, she sometimes thought she would. But on the other hand the money her parents had earned provided her with a sense of security, along with the amenities to expand her potential.

Indeed, her inherent wealth had given Elsa the opportunity to access the finest tutors in the country. This, coupled with her natural aptitude towards study, sparked the raging fire of her education as she thoroughly familiarized herself with some of the finer details of her parents' business by the age of fifteen. If her academic history were to tracked, the observer would find that Elsa had grasped the practical aspects of mathematics (notably in statistics and geometry) by the time she was five-years-old. Her reading was of a standard that she was capable of both understanding and enjoying the works of Dickens, Wilde and Rousseau by age ten. The idea of progressive medicine in the form of genetic engineering, a practice her mother employed in some of her deeper research, had crossed her mind by the time she was thirteen. Away from academia, it was worth noting Elsa was well-practiced in a number of martial arts by her mid-teens. In all, when it came to Elsa applying to Universities she had the capabilities to attend each and every institution she introduced herself to, even to the point her chosen College offered her a bursary she would never need.

Although behind these accomplishments was a very peculiar circumstance, and one which would require visual evidence to be believed. The reason why Elsa was able to put all her efforts into her studies and why she would seek sanctuary away from the spiteful eyes of others was all down to an accident which had occurred before her birth.

Adgar Noble had been the CEO of the strongly established Noble Corporation from his mid-twenties, a position he had received from his own father. The company was based purely around the core idea of 'improving the human life through practical development'. As such, while the Noble Corp. invested in many peripheral projects a huge emphasis was placed on its pharmaceutical research and manufacturing. It was of no coincidence in that respect that Adgar met the future Idunn Noble as the head of the research program. What was coincidental was the fact that shortly after their marriage, Idunn experienced an accident in the research of viruses capable of rapidly cooling the surrounding environment. It was thankful that Idunn recovered swiftly with no ill effects, as the virus was too weak to cause any vast changes to her cells. However, the unknown zygote within Idunn was to be forever changed by the few new strands of DNA the virus introduced.

Following this occurrence, Idunn's pregnancy was discovered and Elsa was born without incident. It was a matter of some concern that the child was oddly cooler to the touch than one should expect, although it wasn't until a few years later that the strange abilities manifested themselves in the girl. As her hair began to grow out, it was found that Elsa did not share the brunette locks of her mother nor the redhead of her father but was instead the purest platinum blonde a person could be. Similarly her eyes were an unusual ice blue that neither parent possessed, although these were not overly worrying as Elsa had been as healthy and happy as her parents had hoped.

It was when concern for the anomalies in Elsa's appearance was at its lowest that the true extent of her ability revealed itself. When she was merely two-years-old she fell out of bed in the middle of the night; fracturing her collarbone and bizarrely causing a blizzard on the grounds of the Noble Estate with her cries. A month later, a slightly older boy, who was the child of a family friend, made the unwise choice to push Elsa down one too many times. How a small icicle fell from her bedroom ceiling in the middle of August, lodging itself in the boy's cheek and requiring five stitches was uncomfortably inexplicable for Adgar, who by that time was aware of the power little Elsa appeared to hold.

Therefore, when it came to light that Idunn was pregnant with a second child the Noble parents were presented with challenging idea of having two children capable of freezing anything they didn't like, should the virus have a prolonged effect. One seemingly super powered toddler was manageable, even easy to hide within the mansion. The thought of two was dangerous.

Thankfully, Anna Noble was born with no such abilities. Her hair grew to be red (though with a single white streak), like her father's and her eyes were green like her mother. It was also this younger sibling which lead Elsa to practice some control over her powers. By now, she had realised she could do things others could not and was naturally scared herself that she may hurt Anna by accident. Thus it was that the child formed a close bond with her sister through her efforts to balance the fun and safety. In fact, with Anna's mesmerised audience Elsa soon learnt to produce snowy clouds at will and freeze the lake outside the mansion in a matter of minutes by the time she had reached the age of five.

When Anna was able to walk and run just as well as Elsa could, the two would spend hours every day playing in the artificially created Lapland to the mild amusement of their parents. For a time there was some semblance of normalcy in the Noble Estate. The few occasions when they would be entertaining the girls were kept to another wing of the house, otherwise Elsa was free to create a winter wonderland all through the year with the enthusiastic encouragement of Anna.

Then, unfortunately, another accident befell the family. One night, when Anna had coaxed Elsa out of bed to continue their daytime play the energetic five-year-old proved too much for the elder sister to follow. While climbing ever-growing mountains of snow and frost, Anna had leapt off the soft cliff face without any landing ready for her descent. Elsa, in panic, began forming a wintery bed to catch her, but had slipped and instead sent the freezing force straight into Anna's forehead. The younger girl had been rendered unconscious immediately, developing a deathly chill to her skin before Elsa had even screamed for their mother and father.

Fear-stricken at the thought of losing a daughter, Adgar had seen it necessary to immediately call in another leading expert in the research wing of the Noble Corporation; an effective old man who was affectionately known as Pabbie by his colleagues. After rapidly explaining the situation to him, revealing Elsa's powers in the process, Pabbie began working to revive Anna before an hour had passed from the incident.

It took three days to rectify the injury, during which the correct medical authorities had been alerted with the pretence of Anna falling into the cold lake and whacking her head in the dive. For seventy-two hours, Elsa was gripped with the unshakeable, oppressive guilt of having mortally injured her closest companion. She could barely sleep with the knowledge that her little sister could die due to her carelessness and on no less than four occasions her meals resurfaced at the very thought. What little she could manage made her feel sick to her core and only provided further physical torment atop the emotional pain.

Anna finally woke up a complete five days after she had been struck, suffering no impairments other than selective retrograde amnesia. She could answer personal information such as her name, age, family members and a rough daily routine, but she held nearly no recollection of Elsa's powers or the fact that she had often built snowmen at inappropriate times of the year. After several check-ups Anna was released from hospital and had fully recovered within the month.

Elsa, in comparison, was wracked with inner turmoil. There was no peace to be found whilst she could still call ice into existence on a whim. Worse; after this incident she lost control of her powers, escalating to the point she found it common to awaken, sweat drenched in the middle of the night, surrounded by frozen stalagmites. The persistent nag of doubt in her mind grew, as she became distant from her family for their protection. Days would pass when she wouldn't even step outside her bedroom door, working herself tirelessly to regain some semblance of composure.

Her father noticed this pattern of behaviour early on. He indulged her need for isolation where he found it reasonable, but had made it clear to Elsa that they were going to find a way to manage her growing powers. Pabbie was employed as a personal tutor for Elsa, in the hopes that biological control could be established with enough study. The stout old man tried his hardest to discern any biochemical triggers which could be manipulated, however the eight-year-old's nervous system proved too adaptive to develop any definitive treatment. Samples were taken and examined for two years before Pabbie and Idunn came to the conclusion that there was no medicinal way to prevent Elsa's powers. The ice was simply a part of the girl.

Other practices were therefore put in place to aid Elsa in keeping the ice in check. It was found early on that gloves were an effective way of preventing the tactile spread of frost, allowing the girl to at least pick items up without freezing them solid. Soon after this discovery Adgar bought a hundred pairs of gloves of varying thicknesses so that Elsa might feel more comfortable interacting with people, although this only prompted her to recommence her education under home schooling. A subsequent realisation this allowed was that much of Elsa's issue was due to focus; if she concentrated on the negative feelings she felt, the ice would grow to reflect it. If she were to remain neutral and put all her energy into a different outlet, the cold would recede completely for a short time.

Picking up on this, Adgar and Idunn decided it was best for their now ten-year-old daughter to learn martial arts, beginning with an obscure form an instructor known as Li Shang had previously taught in China. After several months of practice, Elsa was able to confidently reign in the fears and anxieties which had ruled her. The mantra of 'conceal, don't feel' her father taught her aided this further until she felt able to face the outside world for a few hours at a time, though she found herself reluctant to connect with the few friends she had before her reclusion. It remained common throughout her teenage years to retreat to her bedroom when she felt overwhelmed.

As all this was addressed behind locked doors, Anna grew up confused by her sister's sudden desertion. Remembering only the strong bond the two shared, she made a regular habit of asking Elsa, through keyholes and cracks under the door, to play. This was all to no avail as the answer was invariably a shaky 'no', leading Anna to spend hundreds of long afternoons wandering the halls of the now dark mansion with only the paintings to hear her troubles. It did not go unnoticed by the younger girl that her parents, also, spent much of their tending to Elsa. They still made sure to lavish and care for Anna just as much as any parents should but it was evident to the growing child that their minds were always elsewhere, 'elsewhere' being the attic rooms the elder sister hid away in. In turn, this led to Anna becoming a well-meaning, if academically distracted and socially awkward young lady.

When the younger sister was old enough, she had taken to attending parties similar adolescent socialites were lucky enough to put on, albeit with strict limitations on the times she would return. As her teenage years ran its course, Anna found that, while she enjoyed the life provided for her within her home, being out in the City of Arendelle with friends that actually paid attention to her and wanted to spend time with her was far more liberating.

So it was that the two sisters, who had previously been the best of friends, drifted apart due to the one irreconcilable factor that prevented Elsa from ever having the typical childhood. As aforementioned, the eldest Noble child went on to earn places at the universities of her choice; the first of which was located on the other side of the globe, in a country where the appearance of ice would not be questioned for the winter months, whilst the summers could be spent hiding in relative isolation. That university happened to be located in Oslo, Norway. Therefore, when it came to Elsa's departure she mentally prepared herself for four years without the comforting presence of her family.

While they were at the gates, waiting for Elsa to board the plane which would carry her away for nearly half a decade, Anna promised she would visit her sister in Scandinavia. Elsa agreed that it was a must, although neither had been truly meaningful or certain of the safety. And then Elsa was gone, with updates being delivered semi-regularly when her emotional struggle with the distance died down.

For the first time in twelve years, the lives of the Noble family reached, once again, some form of normalcy. With the threat of Elsa's secret being uncovered gone, Adgar allowed Anna to host her own parties within the mansion. News of her sister's extravagance and liveliness periodically reached Elsa in Norway, where she had managed to find at least one friend whom she felt comfortable enough to disclose her condition to.

It was just as everyone was relaxing into their new roles, as Elsa completed her first year studying abroad, that tragedy once more struck in a form the entire world could see.

On their journey to meet with their daughter, the Noble private jet developed a fault and crashed at sea in the mid-Atlantic. Both Adgar and Idunn's lives were claimed, wiping out fifty percent of the people who knew of Elsa's abilities, but taking away all the security the two girls had ever felt. They were left alone now, on opposite sides of the globe.

The night the news came out, Anna Noble was safe at home; having declined the invitation to see an emotionally distant sibling to instead attend a masquerade ball at the rival Westerguard household. Elsa, at the opposite end of the spectrum, only heard about the death of her parents in the six o'clock news the day after. The shock it gave made her retreat further into her work and exercise as she once again felt her self-control begin to crumble.

She did not return home for the funeral. She did not return when she was named CEO of the Noble Corporation. She did not return home until the end of her Master's Degree. By then, life had moved on considerably in her home town without her.


	2. Chapter 1

**Here be where the main narrative starts. Sadly, this chapter contains no actual action, although I promise you it's all building to something. Hopefully I've caught the characters correctly. **

**Hope you enjoy.**

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><p>From the sky above, Arendelle City looked to be a typical metropolitan hub. Its outskirts were comprised of brick-coloured town house suburbs and district high schools, filled with urban idyllic imagery to the point that children filled the nearest park with movement visible from this altitude if one looked close enough. Indeed, for Elsa Noble, it even appeared people ambled languidly in the streets without a care in the world. If she looked further towards the horizon, she could almost make out the edge of her parents' estate. Her estate. It had been four-and-a-half years since the green pastures and the glimmering lake had met her ice blue eyes, but she couldn't see any immediately notable difference. She would be surprised if anyone had even entered the building since Anna had moved out not long after the crash.<p>

If the position of the plane had allowed such a view, Elsa would have been able to look down on the so-called 'Mountain'. This was the poorer area of the city; notable for its desolate greyness and low budget housing. It had the strange geographical location of being built upon the steep incline running across the northern section of the city, bisecting the sought after county with a dusty district of the socially less cared for between the bucolic middle class dwelling and the gleaming example of modern industry. That contrast was terrifying in itself for the modern world of social responsibility.

Not a mile away from the thirty-square blocks of frequent night-time muggings, only visible from the opposite side of the plane, was the immense tower of the Noble Corporation. This was certainly a landmark which commanded the skyline of the city, towering even over its closest rival of Westerguard Industries. Without even glancing across the cabin, Elsa could easily picture the exterior aesthetics of a building she unironically thought of as akin to an iceberg; an architecturally creative shape filled in with glass, steel and cement which was far bigger than the average observer gave it credit for. At eighty floors, it surpassed all contenders and could be a major obstacle for incoming flights descending over the streets the city's economy was based in.

"_This is your captain speaking; we are beginning our final approach into Arendelle National Airport. The local time is five-oh-five in the afternoon. Please fasten your seatbelts if you have not done so already and prepare for landing." _The hazy static voice was barely audible over the pounding of blood in Elsa's ears.

With shaky hands, she pulled the thick silk of her gloves firmly over her wrists before tightening her seatbelt. She could feel her knuckles turning white with the tension she placed on them as she gripped the armrests as if her life depended on it. Teeth gritted, shoulders tensed and back straight, Elsa braced herself for a rough touchdown with all the imaginary faults with the plane flashing through her mind in quick succession.

"Conceal, don't feel." She whispered under her breathe, trying to quell the chilling fear rising in her throat. "Do not let them know."

An unfamiliar finger prodded at her shoulder, accompanied by an obviously curious "Excuse me?"

Elsa opened one eye very slightly to peek at her up-to-now silent neighbour out of the corner of her vision. For the past two hours she had been unwillingly sat beside a rather stout, portly man with more chin than was really necessary but the dress sense which just reeked of success. He still seemed nice though, and had shifted as much as possible to allow her space during the two hour connection flight.

"Yes?" She answered, mildly uncertain as to why he would choose to speak to her now. He had had a while to strike up a conversation and chosen to begin just when she was focusing on calming her nerves.

"Sorry," He began with, in a voice that could only belong to one of those raspy, blues singers. "But I couldn't help but notice you seemed ill at ease."

Forgoing any response, Elsa merely wobbled her head in a non-committal affirmative while returning the better part of her concentration to escaping the building storm within her. The whine of engines was beginning to get to her as she felt the descent raise her stomach.

"Not much of a flyer, eh?" The man persistently questioned, reaching into his inside jacket pocket as he squinted past her to the approaching ground.

"Oh, if you think this is bad you should have seen me while I was over the Atlantic," Elsa managed, keeping her eyes clamped shut and her chin held high. "I think sailing would have been a much better idea."

"Nonsense, dear," He seemed to cough before undeniably sipping at something. "They say planes are statistically the safest way to travel. Want some?"

At the inquisitive nudge on her shoulder, Elsa once again risked a quick peep at the offered company. The smell of the whisky reached her before the familiar glint of a stainless steel canteen did. Her stomach did far more flips at the retched scent than it had throughout all of her eleven hour journey.

"No. Thank you." She declined politely, wishing for the touch down to just be over.

He took another swig before returning it to a secret spot inside his suit.

"Apparently," He continued to drawl, relaxing into his seat. "Alcohol hits you faster at higher altitudes. If you wanted to relax, you should have ordered some at the first offer."

"I don't think alcohol can be served on commercial flights," Elsa tersely responded, gripping the armrests tighter than she thought possible. Her ears popped once more as the rush of the engines filled her hearing. "Besides, I don't drink. I stay in control."

The wheels met the tarmac of the runaway, sending a resounding judder throughout the craft. Elsa leapt in her seat at the sudden meeting of vehicle and earth, whilst the short man next to her just hummed an unfamiliar tune.

"An unwise choice," He lazily protested, juddering at one with the plane as it decelerated to a more gentle speed. "It's too much pressure staying in control _all _the time. All those responsibilities and niggling fears, you gotta let it go once in a while."

"I'll bear that in mind." Elsa lied, relaxing slightly as the plane began taxiing into the terminal. Beneath her gloved hands she could feel the familiarly cool touch of ice, leading her to remain tensed in her seat.

"_Thank you for flying Air Arendelle, if you could please remain seated until the plane has come to a complete stop and the seatbelt sign has turned off. We hope you have enjoyed flying with us and that you will choose to do so again in the future." _The captain ended, followed succinctly by the first-class cabin wobbling at the sudden stop and the resounding _ding _of the mentioned lights darkening.

As if the tone had been a starting whistle, the short man jumped from his seat immediately and reached into the overhead compartment. A moment later he swung a trumpet case into the now vacant space next to Elsa before straightening his jacket. He tipped his head at her kindly, making to leave before stopping when he noticed she hadn't moved.

"Still tense, girl?" He asked with some interest, leaning against the headrest to watch.

Breathing regularly and quickly recovering, Elsa gave one last look out of the window before the realisation finally hit her of where she was.

"A little bit," She admitted, finally relaxing her arms and slouching as the air left her lungs. "I haven't seen my sister in four years."

"Ah! I see," The little man exclaimed, nodding with great animation. "Reunion jitters. Well, I ain't seen my cus in almost as long. You'll be fine. Family is meant to be accepting."

Elsa offered a small smile as the man ambled away. She couldn't help but question his certainty at the idea. After all; there had been minimal contact with Anna at the time of mourning which was by no fault of the younger girl. For the weeks following the crash Elsa had been somewhat 'flighty' when it came to reminders of her self-imposed loneliness. Needless to say, the messages Anna left on her phone was rather distantly replied to and had been kept that way since. Just enough so that Elsa's return would not be unprecedented.

A steady trickle of passengers shuffled past her as they disembarked the plane until she was the only one left. Once the coast was clear, she lifted her hands off the armrest to brush away the small, shining crystals that had escaped her control during the landing. With the small evidence safely disposed of, Elsa rose from her straight backed chair and hurried down the aisle, offering the pilot and stewardess a shy 'thank you' as she exited the supposedly safe transport.

The arrivals gate was thankfully quiet, seeing as hers was the last incoming flight of the day. Arendelle possessed only a small airport, with maybe ten planes landing on the runway per day. Subsequently, it was phenomenally rare to have greater than a hundred people at the luggage carousel in any one hour. However, today there was a bustling crowd waiting just beyond the glass partition separating the arriving from the departing and the waiting taxis. It didn't take long for an uproar to ricochet through the air at Elsa's appearance.

She waited patiently for her travel case to reappear from the rotating plates with her back to the cheering rabble. Internally, she listed off all the people on her flight for potential celebrities before coming to the conclusion that the assembled mass must be for her. Her return had been kept as secretive as possible; given her status as a reclusive millionaire inheriting an international company before turning twenty had granted her at least local fame. Had this many really made the journey to the airport just to catch a glimpse of a rich person? It wasn't as if she was a movie star.

Her pale blue suitcase tumbled towards her from the upper floor, breaking her reverie. Composing herself for the approaching ordeal, Elsa turned quickly to pass through the airport. Unintentionally she walked through the doors at the same moment the little man from the plane did. He shot her a kind wink as he nodded towards the excited faces. In return, she merely gave a small grimace before plunging into the entrance hall.

"King Louis! King Louis!" Half the present onlookers chanted, brandishing posters of the little man who was apparently famous for jazz music.

The other half remained quiet for the most part, letting out a single collective yell of welcome. That did not stop the straining of many to shake her hand or the few eager calls in attempts to befriend her. Luckily a metal barrier continued dividing her from the herd but was unfortunately unable to stop the flurry of flashing cameras which captured shots of her or King Louis or both.

Louis himself spun to face her in surprise, before grinning merrily as he stepped out into the crowd and vanished. A hand held up a trumpet case for a moment beside the door, but soon disappeared from Elsa's life.

"Elsa! Elsa Noble! Elsa!" The remainder continued to shout as she slowly approached the point she too would be swallowed by the collective voice.

This many people knowing her name, along with being able to recognise her on sight, made Elsa uncomfortable when the terrifying undulations of the smiling faces came slightly too close. A camera flashed only a few feet away, blinding Elsa briefly and beginning to rebuild her already swallowed panic. That familiar cool tingle in her fingertips made a resurgence, held only in check by the sudden thinness of her gloves. The sound of all those voices, the noise of their movement, their very presence pressed in on Elsa's senses until it seemed there was no outside world; just these people who wanted to catch a glimpse of her for factors beyond her control. If only they knew the half of the abilities she didn't want.

Just as she was sure the rising fear would overwhelm her, a familiar face pushed through the endless crowd to grab her suitcase and her forearm. As quickly as he had appeared, he turned back to the exit and barrelled his way back into the open air, with Elsa safely dragged along behind him.

"Kai, thank god." Elsa sighed, leaning against the standard black car she had arranged to meet her.

"Sorry for the wait, Miss Noble," The driver apologised swiftly, tucking the suitcase into the trunk before opening the door to the backseat for his employer. "Your flight was actually early."

"Lucky me." She whispered, leaning back on the headrest. Already she was pushing the memories of all those voices out of mind, aided by the swift movement of the car away from the airport.

Most of the following journey was made in silence, with Elsa dozing on the leather seat to recuperate from the ordeal of travelling across the planet. Her phone, with its limited contacts, remained switched off in her Cambridge Satchel. It was unlikely she'd get any messages at this point. She briefly wondered whether Anna would have texted her, since her sister was the only other person who knew her rough time of arrival. Silence was golden, but for Anna Elsa would have happily endured the annoying trill of an iPhone.

"Has much changed while I've been away?" Elsa asked after a solid fifteen minutes.

"Take a look and see, Miss."

Rousing her rapidly tired eyes into action, Elsa peered out of the tinted windows at the streets that had seemed so peaceful from the sky. Without realising, they had cruised through the outskirts of the city and were currently skirting along the edge of the Mountains. On the other side of the downtrodden streets the towers of Noble and Westerguard could be spotted as clawing at the blue ceiling of the world. The buildings she was met with at eyelevel, however, could only have been equivocal to the dirt of the cold earth. Even on the street ends the shops and houses and schools were notably dilapidated, to the point it was astonishing the local government hadn't done anything about it. At least thirteen homeless people could be counted from the cross section Kai had provided, each one wrapped in dirty, frayed clothing despite the warm summer evening. Elsa was further concerned when she thought she caught a flash of a revolver's casing in someone's holed jacket. Before she had left, the Mountains had never been anyone's first choice of residence, but it had never been as bad as this.

"Kai, what happened?" Elsa breathed, deeply saddened to see the city of her birth fallen so far.

"Business, Miss." Kai simply answered, before relating the events of depression. "The Mayor, Weselton, has a less then socially responsible manifesto, so that did not help the situation. But it was the death of your parents which hit the city the hardest. Without Mr Noble in charge the company had to make cutbacks. A few of the research facilities were shut down, including one in the Mountains, but it seemed most of the privately owned businesses relied on the investment the Noble Corporation brought in. When there was a dip in the market it was the Mountains that felt the effect. In my opinion, I don't think it's hit the bottom yet. Hasn't even started to recover."

Elsa remained silent for a while after Kai finished speaking, weighed down by a guilt that wasn't strictly hers but one she felt nonetheless.

"Who's in charge of the company?" She had been told via email whilst she'd been in Norway, but had neglected to read the finer details due to her desired emotional distance.

"One Mr Pabbie, with some helping advice from your Uncle in Corona." He answered, swerving away onto the road out of the city. "He's doing alright. Scientific research is performing incredibly well. He does not, however, have the financial knowledge necessary to keep funds steady."

Silence returned as they travelled out the other side of the city, hitting the empty roads of the countryside around the Noble Estate. Soon enough Kai drove them through the overly ornate gates which protected the acres of land which now belonged to Elsa. Trees insulated the grounds from the outside world for a good quarter of a mile before finally parting to reveal the first glimpse of the house.

It was a grand affair by all accounts, having been designed with the intricate Nordic architecture Elsa had always admired. The main building was walled in on three sides by the castle-like courtyard, but was backed by a vast expanse of perfectly tended gardens and a lake large enough to host a galleon with room to spare. Alongside the house stood stables, swimming pools and workshops housed in barn façades and endless beds of wild flowers while further exotic species grew in the greenhouses. On the edge of Elsa's vision sat the vegetable patch and a fruit cage to provide for the lavish dinners she was now free to indulge herself with.

However, the only memories of this house she held were the many years of isolation. There remained a few images, seared in to her brain, of times spent playing in the summer snow with Anna. But they were few, disjointed and hazier each time she called them to the forefront of her mind. Instead, she had stayed inside and learnt all she could to pass the time.

As the car pulled up outside the front door, Elsa was surprised to see an unexpected face waiting for her arrival. It was not the face she would have liked to see, but it was welcome nonetheless as a vision of familiarity.

"How nice to see you again, Elsa." Ernest Pabbie welcomed as she opened the car door.

"Dr Pabbie." Elsa nodded.

They did not hug, or handshake or even high-five as Anna would. Pabbie, after all, understood the medical reason for Elsa's almost aloof personal presence. He had been the one to notice the relationship between her emotional state and the extremes of her powers, so he naturally knew the extent of control she placed herself under. There was a large part of him which disapproved of her practiced detachment from events most people would express happiness at. She did not allow a single smile to show itself at the prospect of being home.

"How have you been?" He asked with a fond grin, staring upwards at the women who was at least a head taller than him.

Elsa froze for a moment, quickly recounting the emotional highs and lows of the last four years. All the nights hidden huddled in ice covered rooms, weeping over her uneven gifts in life. The summer holidays she locked herself up in the Norwegian mountains for fear of losing her cool. Those days she had remained in her sparsely decorated apartment relying on her one friend's company to keep her sane. Four years of intermittent upset and emotional torment to lead her back to this spot.

"Well," She eventually settled on, listening as Kai retrieved her suitcase and moved ahead into the house. "Yourself?"

"Tired," He simply answered, motioning for her to follow him through the doorway of what was now her home. "Old age does not agree with me."

True to that statement, Pabbie looked to be made of the most weathered and sturdy material that his age would suggest. His skin has a strange, pebbled look formed from years of sporadic sunlight which appeared translucently grey in certain lights. He hunched over when he walked, reducing his rather diminutive height even further. This went so far as to the extent of, coupled with his notably large midsection, making him have the not undeserved likeness of a boulder. In contrast, however, he had a shock of brilliant white hair which had been of the same colour since Elsa had first met him as a child. He was dependable, seemingly unaging and, most importantly, the kind genius she needed to help her out when life seemed at its worst. It was true there was nothing Pabbie could do about her powers, but he alone took the time to visit her in Norway when her parents died.

"Have you ever not been old?" Elsa teased with a well-controlled chuckle in her voice.

"Yes, believe it or not," Pabbie responded quickly. "Regular fatigue is new, though. It wasn't so long ago I was working through the night. Now I find myself needing to nap every now and again."

"Doesn't sound like such a bad life to me." Elsa opined, remembering the good days off when she wouldn't wake until many had had lunch. It was a curse with her family. Sleep was too alluring.

"Wait until you get there."

Inside the foyer of the mansion, the air was as still as a museum. The room was unchanged from what Elsa remembered, complete to the perfectly perpendicular angles of the portraits on the wall and the expert spacing of the patterned rugs on the mosaic tiled floor. In fact; the positioning of the furniture was so perfect with what she remembered, she questioned whether anyone had even walked into the building at all while she was away. Had Anna continued living in the building as the sole familial resident, it was more than likely her younger sister could generate enough mess to keep the house in constant disarray, despite the amount of cleaning staff.

As if able to see her thoughts, Pabbie gave her an empathetic look as he explained; "The house has been empty on the most part since your parents left us. Anna moved out less than a month after you were named the owner. Of course, that hasn't stopped her from hosting a few 'balls' in your absence."

"'Balls'?" Elsa asked at the sarcastic tone.

"In a _Great Gatsby _sort of way," Pabbie elaborated, disapproval evident in his voice. "It took Gerda's team a week to restore the damage. Sadly, the statue of the trolls on the west patio could not be mended, although that Westerguard boy was courteous enough to send a replacement."

"Westerguard?" She bristled at the name, remembering an unfortunate incident from childhood. "He was in the house?"

"In the house, in the lake, on the family yacht. Not in your forbidden wing, you may be thankful to know." The tiny man listed, each item with even less reverence than the last. "It seems Anna has been spending quite a lot of time with him."

To say Elsa was less than thrilled by the idea was an understatement, but that was an issue for later. It was not as if she could change the relationship between them. Nevertheless, Elsa hoped infinitely that there was no chance the Westerguard boy would become her brother-in-law at any time in the future.

"Where's Anna living now?" She redirected the conversation towards a subject she was far more interested in.

"In a penthouse off Queen Boulevard," Pabbie answered quickly and factually, well aware of Elsa's wish to reconnect with her only remaining family member. "Although, if you want to catch her now, she's working in a bar just north of the Mountains. Not too far from the Noble Tower."

"Anna's working? What about her allowance? Her inheritance?" Elsa panicked reservedly, concerned for her little sister who was apparently employed in an establishment off what could be described as the slums of the city.

"She lives off it comfortably, in fact only twice have I had to warn her about burning through that kind of money within a month. No, she just works for the fun of it, or so she says." Pabbie reassured her, feeling the ambient temperature of the room reduce by a few degrees.

Having disappeared up the grand staircase to deposit Elsa's bags outside her infamous West Wing, Kai returned to the foyer with the intention of parking the car in the garage. Instead, he was surprised to find his employer following him and resuming her seat in the rear section of the vehicle with an undivided focus.

"Do you know where Anna works?" She asked when Kai peered at her from the front seat.

"Yes, Miss." He answered simply. In truth it was still his responsibility to ferry the younger Noble girl to anywhere outside of her walking distance and was a regular patron of the bar where she was employed.

"Good. Take me there now." Elsa firmly ordered, before adding the missing manners. "If it's no trouble, Kai."

And so, within five minutes or returning to her longed for childhood home, Elsa departed again in pursuit of the remaining family who made the house feel like a bearable residence. The casual observer may have noticed that, as the car pulled away from the building, a trail of frosty gravel dragged itself out under the tyres. Thankfully, there was only Pabbie to witness the phenomenon. Quietly, he made amendments to the plan he had slowly put together over the last five years to assist the frightened woman.

* * *

><p>Just beyond the last street of the Mountains, sat with a view over the local metro station, stood an outwardly shabby looking building bearing the words <em>Oaken's Pub<em>. The paint on the window frames and around the doorway had long since begun to crack and chip away from the wood of the structure, making it virtually indistinguishable from the other buildings on its block, and the murky, tinted quality of the windows made it difficult for the passer-by to look in the establishment. But what made this public house different from the others surrounding it was the warm glow which emanated like a beckoning hand from the behind the dirty window and the general sound of merriment which escaped the entrance when the door was opened. Another dividing factor in the wealth of this building was that it was a great deal wider than the closest facsimiles; covering a floor space at least four times wider than its neighbour.

It was here, on her first evening back in Arendelle, that Elsa found herself checking her appearance in the reflective bonnet of her car. Despite having travelled for much of the last day, her clothes were still in a near perfect condition. What little creases that had appeared on her black and green blouse were easily covered up by her royal purple knee length coat. All it took was a small readjustment of the tight bun that reigned in her thick blonde plait, along with the tiniest amount of makeup under her eyes to cover up her fatigue, and she felt she was presentable for the impromptu reunion.

"This is the place?" She asked Kai when she turned to fully analyse the exterior.

"Yes, Miss. If she's working the usual hours, then Anna should be behind the bar." Kai answered, glancing at the small copy of Anna's rough timetable in the glove compartment. She had been reliant on him a few times to reach her shift in time.

"Alright," Elsa said for no real reason other than showing she had listened. "Why don't you go home? I'll call a cab to get back later."

"If you're sure, Miss." The driver responded after a moment's hesitation.

The car silently pulled away from the kerb and disappeared into the sunset, leaving Elsa alone to prepare herself mentally for all the potential conversations she'd have with Anna. Would her sister be angry for the lifetime's absence? Or would she be forgiving for the feigned ignorance? For a brief second Elsa entertained the idea of revealing her reasons for isolating herself from Anna, but then the well-known memory of that ice cloud hitting a redheaded child in the forehead stopped her. It took every ounce of Elsa's control to prevent herself flying off in a scared flurry when she saw the event pass before her eyes again. She _had _to do this. Anna was the only family she had left.

Wasting not a second more on affirming her resolve, Elsa darted to the faded brown door and pushed her way in without another thought. What awaited her on the other side took her by surprise.

Contrary to the harsh setting of the exterior building, _Oaken's Pub _was really a cosy establishment which seemed to provide a welcoming atmosphere and the promise of a warm meal. The main room was built around a central bar which hid all the pumps and refrigerators for beers and wines and colas, as well a spiral staircase leading both up to a higher floor and down into a cellar. Dotted against the far wall were bench tables covered with buffets of well-prepared food all steaming where they should be. Beside this expanse of edibles was a double door with thickly fogged windows, no doubt leading into a bustling kitchen from the sounds that echoed through when they swung open. Along the other three walls and taking up much of the floor space were varying sizes of dining tables, most of which were in use. Surprisingly, a feeling which actually made Elsa feel better about the streets outside, it appeared most of the patrons were of the poor, hungry people who lived the area. Best of all, none of them recognised her for any reputation she may have gained. The only noises made towards her arrival were a few _tssks_ of disapproval at her expensive choice of clothing.

Taking a few steps across the room to the bar, Elsa found herself met with the most enormous man she had ever seen. That title was due, rather stupendously, to his height rather than the thickness of his torso. Even sitting he was a good two feet taller than her and had all the corresponding muscle to suggest he could crack the wood beneath his palms with one swipe. In contrast to this formidable build, his eyes gleamed with childish good will and his smile cut into the bristled copper line that was his moustache.

"Yoo-hoo!" He cried excitedly in a strong, northern European accent. "Velcome to _Oaken's Pub _and restaurant. I am Oaken. Table for one, ja?"

"Erm… Hello," Elsa replied politely, taken aback by the strangeness of this giant. "Sorry. I'm looking for someone."

"Oh ja? Vell who would zat be?" Oaken asked, losing no enthusiasm.

"Yes," Elsa went on, perching on a nearby stool and still failing to reach a suitable eye-level. "I don't suppose Anna's working tonight, is she?"

"Anna Noble? She's just upstairs sorting ze music," The giant man stood, having to crouch to avoid banging his head on the ceiling. "I shall just fetch her for you."

Oaken marched at a relaxed pace to the staircase, each of the steps creaking under his heavy weight as he ascended. Whilst he was gone, Elsa fidgeted with her gloves. She suddenly found herself wondering if surprising Anna at work was her best idea. Maybe the distant contact they had fallen into was much better, for now at least.

After a few minutes, Oaken returned from the floor above. He still wore that kind grin which looked almost insane from that height.

"She's just coming. Vould you like a drink vhile you vait?" He offered, waving a frying pan sized hand over the countertop.

"Oh, yes. Just a Pepsi, please?" Elsa requested, glancing at the beer bottles behind the counter disdainfully.

"Alright, dear." Oaken replied, reaching behind him into one of many refrigerators to retrieve a bottle of the cola drink with a grace they defied expectations. "My apologies, ze motors on ze fridges have been temperamental."

The malfunction would be evident without the statement, as when the opened drink was handed to her it was dry as a bone and didn't taste as nice as it could have done. Feeling momentarily daring, Elsa looked carefully around her as she peeled off one glove and placed her naked palm against the glass. On one of her better nights in Trondheim, she had practiced chilling her friend's drinks to the point she felt confident at being able to mimic a cool box. If she focused enough, repeating her mantra under her breath, Elsa was able to make condensation form on the outside of the bottle and when she sipped again the flavour was cuttingly chilled.

Around her, music faded in to raise the pleasant atmosphere into a fun environment as Queen's _You're My Best Friend _began playing over the speakers.

"Oaken? I got the CD player working!" A voice Elsa hadn't realised she missed quite that much said from the top of the staircase.

Descending the creaking helical slats, Anna Noble revealed herself to eyes that hadn't seen her in such a long time. She had the same slim build as Elsa, though was shorter by a few inches and was lucky to have rosier, freckle speckled skin than her sister. Her hair was a brilliant, rich copper pulled into two pigtails with the single white streak woven into them. Fashion wise, it was safe to say Anna was more liberal with her clothing than Elsa, seeing as she wore a black patterned tank top and green khakis. Of course, Elsa reasoned that this choice was to keep her economic background secret.

While Elsa observed Anna with a renewed fondness, the look that returned was one of quiet, if motion freezing, shock.

"Hi." Elsa said softly, realising she had not actually planned what she would say despite the many scenarios she'd played with in her head.

"H-hi me?" Anna answered, apparently surprised by this kindly address. "Hi."

The sisters were quiet for a few moments before either broke the tension between them. Oaken watched the awkward exchange before deciding it was best he shuffle away to deal with other customers.

"You look lovely." Elsa complimented, nodding to Anna's hair while doing her best to ignore her own handiwork in the locks.

"Thank you," Anna replied quickly, trying to find a comfortable, casual position to stand in. "But you look beatifuller. Not 'fuller', I'm just saying you look more beautiful." She hesitated, wringing her hands together like she was concerned she'd startled a deer. "You look healthy. The food in Norway must be good."

"Well, I stayed away from the lutefisk." Elsa said, giggling under her breath at Anna's awkward nature.

"Lutefisk?" Her sister questioned, puzzled.

"A horrible dish. It's like a jelly made from fish." She explained, deciding to take another sip of Pepsi before going on. "So. This is where you work?"

Anna nodded, a pleased smile etching itself on her face. "It started as a favour, but I like it."

"Do you get paid?" Elsa inquired as gently as she could, feeling like that was the worst question she could have picked.

"Not really, no," She answered, appearing to understand the tone of Elsa's words rather than their meaning. "I have more than enough money as it is. In fact I sometimes prop this place up."

Merely nodding, Elsa felt another lull in their conversation approaching with no obvious place to take it next. Should she ask more about _Oaken's_? Or just ask how her life had been going in general? More and more this surprise visit felt like a terrible idea.

"When did your flight get in?" Anna said, also at a loss for where to take the conversation. It seemed as good a strand as any.

"About an… hour ago?" Elsa estimated.

"Have you even been home yet?"

"I touched base briefly. Thought I would see my sister at work, but this wasn't exactly my plan." She tentatively revealed, threading her fingers together as a distraction.

Slowly, Anna took a few steps forward so she could lean against the bar opposite Elsa, looking embarrassed by this turn of events.

"Look, Elsa, I had meant to meet you at the airport," Anna confessed, drumming her fingers on the countertop as a nervous twitch. "But then Oaken called and said he was short-staffed tonight, and I didn't want to let him down and I thought you'd just want to go to bed anyway. So, I'm sorry about this."

"Sorry? Why are you sorry?" Elsa questioned, feeling very conscious that this was her fault rather than Anna's. The entire set up of their relationship was her fault, after all. "It was my decision to come here. I just thought we could catch up. If you weren't busy."

Both sisters looked around at the packed restaurant, all the customers satisfied to be having at least one warm meal. Any drink orders were being automatically sent to Oaken, who was remarkably on top of the demands.

"Sorry, I should probably go." Elsa said suddenly, reaching into her coat pocket and placing a ten on the bar. "Keep the change."

She made to get up and leave when she felt a strong, desperate hand grab her forearm to stop her from leaving quite so quickly. Turning back, she found Anna pulling back with all her might so that they might say a few more things.

"Don't worry, this is practically quiet." She said, releasing her strong grip but not letting go of Elsa's sleeve. There was a small pause before she continued. "Do you have to go to the company tomorrow, or do you think we could meet up somewhere?"

Running her plans for the following day through her head, Elsa was both pleased and disconcerted that her schedule was empty. She hoped against hope that Anna wouldn't want to do anything in public. If her earlier experience at the airport had reminded her of anything, it was her fear that she might lose control in large groups.

"I would love to meet up," Elsa agreed with all the confidence she could muster. "Did you have anywhere in mind?"

Anna searched her memory for something they could do together, with the ultimate hope of reforming their lost bond. "We could go to the mall? There are some new stores I think you'd love."

Behind her gracious smile Elsa's face fell.

"Alright then, the mall. Give me a call when you get up and we'll arrange it from there." She agreed despite her reservations.

With a final nod, Anna released Elsa's sleeve and watched as she exited the building. Within her soul she felt the seeds of hope being sowed that, for the first time in forever, she might have a sister again.

* * *

><p><strong>So there we have it, Nobles reunited. Hope it was alright to read and there will be actual action next chapter. Please review. <strong>


	3. Chapter 2

**Ta-da! A longer update to start off the action. **

**On a side note; there is some minor swearing towards the end of this chapter (only twice, so no one panic!) as well as, you guessed it, comic book violence. But it's for a good cause.**

**Enjoy. **

* * *

><p>Elsa awoke at four o'clock the next morning. Evidently her late night adventure in locating a cab had not eliminated her jet lag as she had originally hoped, seeing as she had only managed to crawl into bed five hours earlier.<p>

It seemed that while the economics of the Mountains had slumped cab drivers were strongly avoiding the area for fear of carjacking and kidnappings. These extremes, to her evaluative eye, seemed remarkably non-existent; not only because taxis could be locked quite easily from the inside but that many of them had weapons on board anyway. Nevertheless, Elsa had spent a good hour walking around the Mountains in search of a ride and had actually begun heading towards the Noble Tower in hopes someone there could help her when she had spotted a cab driven by a man roughly her age. After persuading him to make a detour to the Noble Estate, which he had been reluctant to do since he was off his shift; she had managed to return to her house by ten o'clock. Following this, Elsa had followed her nightly rituals of practicing three martial arts patterns before allowing herself some rest.

Now, however, she regretted the palaver and wished she had called Kai in the first place if only for the sake of another three hours asleep. It was, of course, unlikely she would have slept for that extra time since her body clock was far off kilter, and she made another working alliance with the nice cab driver who had given her a business contact should she need assistance again. Whether or not her sleep deprivation would affect her control later on with Anna was another question entirely, though she hoped she would adjust if she could get a nap into the next eight hours. It was almost a certainty that her younger sister would be sleeping in until past midday.

So Elsa chose, for the first few hours of summer dawn, to partake in more of her daily rituals of exercise. The secret of some power over her unruly abilities had helped her relieve the overwhelming stress of her condition, which led to her subsequently making sure she led a healthy lifestyle to maintain the fragile peace within herself. Additionally for today, it may help her readjust to the later hours of Arendelle time by tiring her out enough.

Therefore, before the staff could arrive or Gerda awaken, Elsa took the chance to visit the haphazardly organised gym she'd had installed in the attic space of the building. Her average weight training included a full upper body workout to increase strength and endurance, but not muscle mass due to a somewhat picky perspective on her looks. She preferred to look slender in public, as it made her feel there was some semblance of 'the regular person' in her rather than an Olympic level athlete. Wealth and supernatural abilities were enough for her.

Following three sets of pull-ups, press-ups and assorted weight-lifting, she performed her routine yoga sessions before taking advantage of the miles of private land she could run across. It was an improvement on when she would go jogging in Trondheim, where for half the year ice was, coincidentally, a problem underfoot. Here, in her own grounds, she had a forest floor to run on and the contours of the ground to contend with; providing an all-round much healthier span of exercise.

It was when Elsa was nearing the end of her five mile run she came upon a clearing she used to play in with Anna. As a well hidden spot, it was the perfect location to form a small snowy drift where they could replicate Christmas films for hours on end. There was even a dwarf sized play cottage her parents had decided to install to complete the scene. Since then, it had fallen into disrepair and was largely forgotten about, but stood it still did.

Slowing to a halt, Elsa glanced around her to make sure the site was as secluded as she remembered. Happy the gardener would not be able to spot her through the hedges; she whisked off her running gloves and flexed her fingers. Dusty snowflakes swarmed from her palms and dissipated into water before they hit the ground. In a well-rehearsed pattern Elsa drew her hands into a ready position of one cupping a clenched fist, feet together, and willed herself to silence all the different thoughts in her head. For a moment, she stood completely still.

Then, she brought all her power into snapping into an open stance; one forearm raised over her head whilst the other blocked her chest. There was a satisfying snap of loose cloth against her skin before she brought her forward fist back towards her shoulder while her high block opened into a knife hand which spread a staggered wave of ice shooting away from her into the trees to her left and straight ahead. Swiftly flowing into a reverse punch, a gust of cool air rushed away from her knuckles to form a large cloud of mist. This process was repeated in the opposite direction; practicing her aim on both side as she turned to face the playhouse. When she stepped forward into a straight fingertip thrust, she directed the ricocheting shards to fly just over the roof of the small cottage with the release move swiping away a pile of weeds in her way with a frosty blast when she stepped forwards. Footprint by footprint; Elsa spread the frost and wind and snow she commanded around the tiny building until the hallmarks of winter littered the clearing but left the cottage untouched.

Summoning a mirror of ice to rise out of the ground behind her, Elsa suddenly swung around to deliver a swift, powerful roundhouse kick. A mighty _crack_ split the quiet of the trees while the three-inch thick sheet of frozen water halved in height. She was more than happy to note the ear-splitting noise had not been her foot shattering as well.

Breathing deeply, the Noble girl admired her handiwork. When she was alone, well rested and relaxed; she was more than capable at producing complex structures to the point she had once managed to form a chair using her willpower alone. She wished, silently, that she could find this internal calm in the presence of others. But she was afraid that if her powers went haywire and she was discovered, her family name would be tarnished beyond redemption. Everything her parents had worked for would be ruined, the company would be shut down and, most of all, Anna would be on her own again without even the slightest financial support.

It wasn't unheard of for the public or the government to react badly to the research being conducted within the Noble Corporation. Pharmaceuticals were but a half of the investments of the company; with other sections researching protective armours, even some weaponry. If the full extent of the biological experiments were uncovered, the organisation could face major reprimands. Should they discover the CEO was in fact genetically engineered, there was no hope it would see another day.

Elsa could face being branded a freak, monster or abomination. She could face life imprisonment or surveillance. But she could not bear the idea of her sister falling with her.

When she got back to the house the staffs' working day was just beginning. At her request, Elsa was presented with a breakfast of toast, fruit salad and, bizarrely, chocolate milk which she took in the morning room. Following this, as well as a shower and the selection of appropriate clothing for the day, she found herself with nothing to do.

Back in University, she would have spent the morning studying or attending a lecture or working more on her foreign language skills. Today, there was nothing. It was just coming around to eight o'clock and the boredom was mounting on her shoulders. She was honestly thankful, then, that the phone rang within ten minutes of her falling back against the sofa severely worried at the lack of documents to read.

Gerda answered it before Elsa could get there, although she was quickly presented with the phone once she recognised the loud voice on the other end and motioned for the Head of Staff to hand the receiver over.

"Elsa!" A somewhat vacant, childish exclamation echoed over the line.

"Olaf, hello." Elsa responded, a smile slipping onto her face. While the call may not have been Anna, the boy's contact was by no means unwelcome.

"How are you?!" Almost everything on the phone was exciting for Olaf. The average onlooker may have noted the man was a tad of an idiot savant, which was, to some extent, true.

They had met on the first day of University, having been paired in accommodation due to their status as foreign students. There were three other people in the same flat but they had not really hit it off, especially from Elsa's perspective. In her early weeks, she had spent much of her free time locked in her bedroom, which led to seventy-five percent of her roommates branding her a loner. Olaf, socially naïve as he was, didn't give up on her quite so easily. Indeed, he made the extra effort to befriend her by constantly inviting her out and making sure she was comfortable enough in a strange country. He had been raised an army brat, which gave him the ultimate perseverance to get through to her in the end (as well as not recognising the boundary most would). Their friendship had built slowly, but they had become all the closer when, by a turn of events Elsa didn't like to think about, he'd learnt about her powers.

Bizarrely, he hadn't thought of them as unusual. He was in fact rather accepting of most things, or he didn't question the details too deeply. Instead, he was highly focussed on computing and linguistics, his chosen subjects, thus resulting in a loyalty Elsa enjoyed. They had grown as friends so much that before graduation she had offered him a job in computer support at the company, along with setting him up with an apartment in the city where he would move in later today.

"I'm good. Jet-lagged, but good," Elsa answered, tugging at the glove over her phone hand. "Yourself?"

"Yeah! I'm great!" Olaf continued calling, muffled footsteps echoed over the line. "I just wanted make sure you knew I'm heading to the airport now! I'll be over there by eleven this evening, your time!"

Elsa couldn't help but smirk at the heightened pitch of his voice when he mentioned the approaching trip. It was an endearing trait, if sometimes exhausting.

"Great! Can't wait," She replied, feeling that her boredom would disappear once Olaf arrived. "Do you want me to send Kai to fetch you?"

There was a pause on the other end.

"Yeah! That'd be great!" The man child answered, followed by a door slam which could be heard on the Norway side. "Listen, I gotta go, I'm late already! I'll be with you soon though!"

"Alright. See you later, then." Elsa finished, secretly wishing familiar contact wasn't so fleeting. The knowledge of Anna contacting her eventually would make the inactivity more bearable. It was all a matter of patience.

Olaf bid his goodbyes before he hung up, leaving Elsa alone in the house to wait for however long it would be for her sister to wake up. What to do?

* * *

><p>For the remainder of the morning, the eldest Noble found herself refamiliarising herself with the long halls and overly grand rooms that had been maintained in the absence of residents. She visited the clock tower that had been installed by her grandparents simply so everyone in the house would know the rough time when the now-silent bells chimed. In her path she also passed through the grand library in which she could find detailed volumes on most any subject. At one end of this room the wall was decorated with a large family tree; beginning with Edgar Noble who moved to this state in the late 19th century and culminating five generations later with Elsa, Anna and a handful of cousins.<p>

A quick peek into the ballroom revealed minor signs of damage, mostly in chipped parts of the doorframe that were yet to be repaired and a few scratches in the floor. She supposed at least the room had been in use. Doing what something should rarely left it in mint condition afterwards.

One of her final stops on her journey was the gallery; containing the family's collection of artwork from over the last century. Unfortunately, they were much too realist for Elsa's tastes. She personally preferred more impressionist works, though modern art was beyond her comprehension of meaning. Although, a few were portraits of older family members: one of which was Edgar Noble's father Arthur, depicted in his blue military uniform. The paint gave the image an iridescent quality in the sunlight, which forced its way through tinted skylights to provide some illumination. A plaque on the frame below gave his personal motto _For the Good of Others_, words which had played on Elsa's mind in the past and continued to whenever she focused on it.

Wandering back around the opposite side of the room, Elsa was met with an anomalous space between oil renderings of pastoral life. She could have sworn a painting of a female knight used to hang in the wide space above a hard-backed sofa. Indeed, a small hook protruded from the wall as if there _had _been a painting over it until previously, although she soon found herself actually questioning whether she was confusing the woman warrior's image with a storybook. That was something she would have to ask Gerda later on.

* * *

><p>Gazing glossy-eyed a the screen, Elsa flicked through the channels at an intermittent speed; watching some shows longer than others. This had been a practice employed for the last two hours as the hands slowly made their way around the living room clock face to meet at the twelve position. Each tick of the surprisingly noisy cogs drew the seconds by like Sisyphus pushing the boulder. Patience was not uncommon to Elsa. But there came a point where her patience proved detrimental.<p>

Now that there was nothing to occupy her, Elsa found herself analysing the situation far too deeply to be healthy. She was considering all the potential problems that could arise before, during or after her trip shopping with Anna. Her sister could decide not to go, which was arguably benign. Alternatively, Elsa could lose control in the shopping centre, plunging herself into the mercy of the public. If bad enough, Elsa could even kill someone.

It was thoughts such as this which made the anxiety rise in her throat again and her breathing to become slightly more strained. Unfocused, she was a danger to society. In public, she could hurt anyone. It was very hard not to apply the term 'monster' to her situation, as she felt this was what she was more than anything. Her father had told her when she was eight-years-old that she was by no means a monster, as she lacked intention to harm. Calming though this was at the time the consolation ultimately made her wonder what would happen if she ever struck out in anger. How devastating could that be?

To keep her mind away from this pattern of thoughts, she had relegated her attention to the vapid and uninteresting daytime television shows which she failed to understand the appeal of. A subscription to all the music, documentary and sports channels was paid out of her account monthly, but she was still highly disappointed that all the culture and advancements of the world could be represented through _this_.

Eventually, she settled on the local news station to bring herself up to speed with current events. As luck had it, she tuned in just at the moment the programme cut to a video of the Mayor wandering the streets of the Mountains, followed by an entourage, as he pretended to speak to the homeless. He was an aged, wiry scarecrow of a man with cold, greedy eyes magnified by ridiculous round glasses and the most unconvincing toupee Elsa had ever seen perched unsteadily on top of his head. His clothes spoke of old money and conservative beliefs as his shined, probably Italian, shoes brushed through the dusty streets in disgust while his tailored suit screamed alienation from the common man. Still, his thick moustache hid the absence of concern on his face allowing his façade to become all the more interpretative.

The voice over read: "_In a questionable change, Mayor Weselton has relaxed the local government's input in Arendelle's economy to a complete open market, which has led to wide criticism from opposition due to the state of unemployment and a continuing dip in the market. Shares in Westerguard Industries and Corona News dropped by fourteen and four points today, while the Noble Corporation has risen nine. Mayor Weselton has said he has firm faith that Laissez Faire will bring the city back into equilibrium and that until then the best thing citizens can do is find work with newly established headhunting firms."_

As the staged footage played out before her eyes, Elsa found a figure dominating her already low opinion of the ruling party. This man was not the one much of the criticism was aimed at, but was instead a rather young follower who did not even attempt to hide his hatred of the unhelped people. His eyes betrayed no positive feelings, only the coldness of a viper preparing to strike. Though also hidden behind thick muttonchops, his face was permanently set in a hardened scowl with his style of dress making it recognisable that he was previously a soldier. He couldn't have been older than thirty-five and was already discharged into civilian life, despite no obvious impairments. This was not a man Elsa would have liked to meet on a dark night.

The footage on the screen suddenly switched to the surprised pictures of a person Elsa took a few moments to recognise; that being her own form from the day before. A series of photographs of her arrival at the airport played out in a slideshow, portraying her in a less that favourable way. In several photos her eyes were shut, with a great look of indignation frozen on her features. Some shots were quite wide, managing to capture both her and King Louis, while one in particular looked to be taken from directly beside her. This picture made her look like the frightened girl she was, rather than the powerful heiress she pretended to be which would ultimately be bad publicity for the company. Thankfully the final picture, and the one they showed through the rest of the report, was of a much better quality; showing her to be calm, collected and strong, though not without a hint of humanity.

Elsa had completely zoned out of the reporter's monologue while she critically focused on each negative detail and only caught up as he said: _"Miss Noble will be commencing work shortly with her family's company, although she has made no official appearance as of yet. However, that has not stopped rumours already circulating about the sisters. One account, submitted under the pseudonym K.B. has informed Arendelle News that Elsa Noble was reportedly spotted leaving a bar in the Mountains and wandering around late last night. This has led some to assume that this is the second Noble to have an issue with alcohol, but there is no other evidence to suggest this. Anna Noble had been arrested for public intoxication and indecency four years ago, making some wonder if there is a family prob-…"_

The television snapped off, to be quickly followed by a rapid decrease in temperature as Elsa felt herself consumed by her feared anger at this revelation. Ice crystals started to spread on the wooden flooring surrounding her as an gust of wind sprung from nowhere and flicked the curtains shut over the windows. Frozen stalagmites began to rise around her, branching off into a series of smaller spikes in a twisted white thorn bush in the centre of the room. Her breathing quickened, her blood pumping with rage as her senses dulled. All she could feel was a twisting sensation in her chest which deepened the ever-warring conflict of her soul.

But then the freezing stopped, and the stalagmites crumbled to some extent. The burning cold within her stopped as she compelled it to, her words escaping in slowly disappearing misty breathes.

"Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel." Elsa whispered over and over again.

Only one thought stayed in her head, one question. What had happened to Anna? What had happened to her beloved sister in the years she was gone and was it her fault when no one was there for her?

The first answer she could form was 'Yes'.

There was a sudden knock at the closed door, drawing Elsa away from the bombardment of emotion to survey the scene she had caused. Icicles hung from the ceiling over her in reflection to the ones which had shrunk slightly back into the ground. Overall the ice had shifted the tables and the sofa, and was unlikely to melt for the next few hours.

"Miss Noble?" Gerda called through the wood. "It's your sister on the phone. Would you like to take the call?"

Gathering herself, Elsa sprang to the doorway, slipping through the exit to prevent anyone peeking inside.

"Yes, please," She said sweetly, taking the handset from the Head of Staff. "And the living room is off limits."

* * *

><p>The Arendelle Mall was particularly busy on this Saturday afternoon, as the rapidly approaching summer vacation brought many families out to prepare for holidays and the inordinate amount of swimming people generally did to beat the expected heat. Everywhere Elsa looked there were mothers dragging small, excited children away from toy stores and into clothes shops. There were teenagers loitering on benches and next to fountains, laughing with their friends at the endless hilarity of everyday life. Despite the heat, a pair of men in large black coats meandered aimlessly. Even a few senior citizens could be seen wandering the storefronts, eyeing up potential sales. This was a part of life Elsa had always wanted to experience, but now found she enjoyed it less than she had hoped.<p>

"So what is there now?" She asked Anna, who was beaming as she walked in stride with her elder sister.

"Oh, everything," Anna said, quickly glancing at the shops they were passing. "There're DVDs and clothes and book and sunglasses and shoes and hiking stuff and restaurants, pizza, I think, and-…"

"You don't come here very often, do you?" Elsa interrupted, looking at Anna carefully. Since finding out about her questionable activities four years ago, she hadn't known exactly how to think about her. For once, she realised just how much her sister had grown up all those years they had been separated.

"Well, no, not really. But the stores keep changing anyway," Anna admitted, somewhat sheepishly and averting her eyes. "Although there is one place I really think you'll like!"

In many ways, Anna was much the same as she had been growing up. Self-conscious. Socially clumsy. Sometimes painfully awkward. But she was far more confident to be out in the open, so enthusiastic to meet people. It made Elsa wonder if the rumours were true. There certainly had been an incident, when would roughly match up with the time they had been furthest apart, but had there really been an issue? And how far had Elsa contributed to said issue?

As they turned a corner onto the main plaza, Anna pulled her onto an escalator ascending to the next level. That gentle tug, the limited contact of fingers on sleeve, made Elsa stop and smile sadly. A memory floated in her mind as she recalled a red-headed child making a similar action with a demand for the magic snow. It made her wonder if Anna remembered anything of those fun-filled days building snowmen, even as a dim dream. On several occasions she had been tempted to just reveal her powers and explain. Although there would always be that risk the same accident or worse could happen again. It was better this way, where Anna sadly no longer tried as hard to restore their friendship.

When they reached the top, Elsa was suddenly met with a most welcome scent which pulled her out of her frequent reveries.

"Is that," Elsa said, pausing as if she dare not entertain the idea the rich smell was what she thought it was. "Chocolate?"

Anna smiled and nodded excitedly, green eyes lighting up with apparent joy. Elsa couldn't help but mirror the look as she turned to see a busy store with a purple front from which that glorious scent poured. On their hastened approach, they were able to pick out the rows upon rows of various candy bars sourced from across the world. Hershey, Cadbury's and Nestlé looked out as an eye-catching temptation. Even worse, there was a large vat of the melted confectionary ready for specially commissioned orders making it nigh impossible for the Noble girls to walk away.

The pair looked at each other as they crossed the threshold, immediately bursting out into giggles before weaving their way through the crowds to take their fill.

"I knew you'd like it in here." Anna said after each of them had collected several pounds worth of varied cocoa based sweets.

"How did you know?" Elsa asked honestly, waiting for the man behind the counter to finish whisking a personalised chocolate slab into the mould.

"Do you really think I'd forget? Every single birthday cake you've ever had has been made with at least four different kinds of chocolate, because you asked," Anna said as if this was the most obvious fact about her sister. "And it was really difficult not to stuff it in my face when I was making it."

To say Elsa was touched deeply by Anna's efforts was an understatement. She had never realised that for ten years her sister had slaved away to form the most perfect birthday deserts, all for her. In truth, she had always thought her parents had ordered one from a particularly good bakery. Her regret for the distance swelled and it was in that moment that Elsa decided she wouldn't let her powers keep her from the friendship she'd missed continuously. She may not be able to tell her the whole truth, but Anna, her only family member, would always come first.

A trilling noise suddenly sounded from seemingly nowhere, drawing Anna's attention away while she dug her phone out of a roomy pocket on her army pants. Her iPhone gleamed in the overhead light as she unlocked the message, giving Elsa a quick peek at her cover photo. It was a still image of Anna, obviously, in mid-smile and yell while lifting up a bottle of an unidentified liquid. Unfortunately, the person in a similar pose next to her was completely unwelcome to Elsa's eyes, as she saw the side burned, unreadable face of Hans Westerguard. Although the picture quickly disappeared as Anna opened her inbox.

"Oh, my dry cleanings done," She summed up, nervously glancing over her shoulder at the lower floor. "Are you alright here while I go pick it up? It's only downstairs, I'll be five minutes."

"Yeah, sure." Elsa responded, looking to the counter to see how far off her order was. When she turned back, she saw Anna darting to the down escalator. Her sister gave a small wave and a good natured grin as she disappeared below the floor.

The chocolatier finished only a few minutes later, giving Elsa no reason to wait in the store. Instead, she wandered out onto the promenade to await Anna's return. Thus far no one had really recognised her, which she put down to her less sophisticated style of dress today. Rather than the silk blouses and the stylish skirts she had become used to, today she'd chosen to wear simple jeans and a loose blue jumper. Some people still looked at her for prolonged periods of time, but were not able to place her identity due to the clothes and an affected slouch she had employed. The only article which may betray her were the constant gloves which she fiddled with as she people watched from a balcony.

Her 'disguise' made her feel somewhat more hidden in the public eye, and more like the mingling people around her. Although as she watched the ground floor she still felt that uneasy sensation of being observed.

As she slowly focussed on every detail, she noticed two men, both in long black coats, watching her from beside a fountain. One of them looked partially familiar to her, although he was hard to place in her memory from this distance. They said something indecipherable, and one raised his sleeve cuff to his mouth before they started marching in her direction.

Now, Elsa had never been in a public situation like this before, but common sense told her it was best to move away from them as quickly as possible. To affirm her suspicions, she casually walked around the circular upper level to test whether they were indeed following her. A sideways glance confirmed she was the target as one black coat changed course to follow her from below whilst the other continued up the escalator. Sensing they were less than pleasant fans, Elsa quickened her step and hurried to the other side of the mall.

Not before, however, she spotted a familiar head of red hair wandering straight into the hands of two more black coated men, this time wearing balaclavas. One of her captors pulled what alarmingly looked like a gun towards her as he grabbed her roughly. The second one fired at the ceiling; immediately capturing everyone's attention and sending them into a blind panic to get out. While the people scrambled over each other, as they rightly should have to get children and pensioners out of the building, Anna looked up in fear to stare directly into Elsa's eyes; somehow seeing her alone across the chaos. The younger Noble looked terrified, almost begging for help with a facial expression alone. Then Elsa ran on when a black coat suddenly lunged after her.

The mall cleared remarkably quickly on the upper floor, giving the Noble girl very little by way of chances to hide. Wide open corridors and glass storefronts seemed to conspire against her as every corner she turned just deposited her too far away from a doorway to hide and even further from an exit through which she could escape. Whomever was chasing her was unrelenting. Quick looks back showed he had followed his fellow conspirators' ideas of wearing a balaclava. Honestly, Elsa wasn't sure how the bulky man could manage this chase under so many layers, but chase he did.

Eventually, she made the snap decision to dive into the closest store; happening to be one supplying sporting equipment. Once inside she ducked behind a jersey rack and waited. Hidden amongst the fleecy clothing the black coat didn't spot her. All he knew was that she was in this shop and there was only one way out, which he quickly blocked by pushing a shoe display in front of it.

"I know you're here," He said in a voice unbefitting of the implied menace. "If you just come out, it won't be so bad. We just want to hold you to ransom."

Slowly, he treaded across the crowded store. When his shoes squeaked within a foot of Elsa, she forced herself to hold her breath and stay completely still. An adrenaline fuelled chill washed down her spine. She could feel the frost beginning to form on the railings. Each heartbeat echoed in her ears in time with a building dread of discovery. There really weren't that many places he could look in before he found her.

"If you don't," The black coat went on. "And I have to find you, I suppose I'll have to rough you up a bit."

He completed one lap of the store, wandering back around to the door. Elsa's hands began to shake from the mounting chill collecting in her fingertips. Her breathing became more staggered, harder to draw in enough oxygen. All she could see was that moment when Anna had met her eye, communicating her need for help. She had looked so lost, so frightened and so sad when Elsa had run off. That image morphed and twisted into an edited memory of a five-year-old girl standing with a gun pressed to her head surrounded by men in black clothing. Elsa's gloved hand slowly curled into a tight fist as she started shaking.

"And if you try to fight me," The man went on, stopping just in front of her hiding rack. "We'll rough up your sister."

Not _her _sister.

Something in Elsa snapped as those words left his tongue. Her shaking stopped and breathing steadied and before she knew what she was doing, she leapt from her hiding place and straight into her assailant with a powerful, snapping punch. The blow caught him directly in the throat, immediately making his eyes bulge in surprise. A knife hand strike to his wrist caused him to drop his drawn weapon and while the bully was clutching at his neck and coughing for regular air Elsa clapped both hands over his ears simultaneously; discombobulating him with a sudden ringing in his ears. He stumbled back, scrabbling to grab some part of Elsa so that he may pull her to the ground. She managed to put enough distance between them, but not before he could rip off her glove.

The man fell to the floor with a _thud_. She would have left him there, however when she saw him reaching for the gun again Elsa did the first natural thing to come to her mind. Lifting her uncovered hand, she formed an ice block in mid-air and let it fall onto the gun. When it crashed into the floor it shattered into a million pieces, lacerating the outstretched fingers and drawing blood. Her breathing remained study and she barely reacted to this sudden use of her powers.

Her attacker, on the other hand, let out a strangled yell of shock. He looked at her in sheer horror and disbelief, shuffling back on weak legs and bleeding hands with a fear he had not possessed previously. She simply stared at him, anger barely restrained. The cold trickled out of her hands into the shape of a basic baseball bat.

"What?" The scared black coat whispered, before he was swiftly rendered unconscious by a carefully delivered strike.

The improvised weapon clattered to the ground as Elsa released a shaky sigh. She had just broken the only rule that had constantly plagued her. Now, when it came to investigations, the security tapes would show her beating her assailant with powers she would be unable to deny. The CCTV would show that much. All her worst fears could come true, all for a moment of fear.

Looking to the ceiling, Elsa found the dreaded camera in the corner. A sob broke her momentary resolve. This was it. This was the day the damage she could cause would come to light and she would be justly punished for it.

Staring at that small rotating box, tears beginning to leak down her face, Elsa was suddenly struck with an almost unreal stroke of luck. The box remained stationary, pointing away from her. That familiar red light did not blink upon inspection.

"Why?" She asked herself, seeing as no one else was there to contribute. "Who turned you off?"

Glancing around the room, her eyes fell again on her fallen would-be captor. His balaclava had ridden up his neck to the point unshaven stubble was on display. Then she realised the group which held her and Anna hostage must have turned the security system off before they started, since they had been wandering around the promenade without caring about the easily identifiable clothing which could be spotted on the grainy footage the CCTV would supply.

The relief which flushed through her was overwhelming, though quickly replaced by the fact Anna was still in a hostage situation and she was only doing slightly better. Given the way these acts normally panned out, the police were unlikely to take control until they had sufficient forces to take on four, now three, men. And who was going to actually provide the pressure to get two rich girls out of there? They were parentless and their closest relatives lived eight hours away.

Despite the situation, Elsa suddenly felt free. No evidence of her involvement would be available, and if she played it right there would only be one criminal to testify her powers. It didn't take a genius to know such a claim would not be believed. All she would have to make sure of was that Anna would not realise it was her sister, sadly meaning it would look as if Elsa had truly deserted her. What would that do to their relationship?

There was no time for that. She had to act quickly now.

Going back to the unconscious man; Elsa took his balaclava, coat and shoes before using her naked palm to fix his forearm to the wall with a thick layer of ice. Donning the stolen clothing, making sure it covered her completely, she pushed her way out of the store to slowly walk back to the promenade.

The coat was overly large for her, dropping all the way to her ankles in a way it shouldn't have done on men. His shoes were far too heavy, making her worry the _clomping _sound of her footstep would give her away. As for the balaclava, it would do. Her hair, in its tight bun, was well covered and the holes in the cloth only betrayed her eyes. If things played out as she hoped, it wouldn't really matter.

Once back on the balcony above the promenade, Elsa was able to take stock of the situation properly and plan accordingly. Anna was sat on a bench beside the central fountain; hands cuffed to one of the armrests and a black coat guarding her. A second one was keeping watch out of the glass front of the building, counting the crowd gathered on the outside. The police had indeed arrived by this point and were staring back whilst the chief talked into a radio. Finally, the third man was looking in the opposite direction; into the mall. It was him who spotted her first.

He got the attention of the one guarding Anna, who was apparently the leader. The pair fixed their gaze on her, giving Elsa a moment of worry. Then the leader lifted his cuff to his mouth.

"Joe?" The voice said from an earpiece woven into the balaclava. "Did you get that Ella girl?"

Not willing to risk imitating the gruff voice of her previous opponent, Elsa shook her head before motioning for them to come over.

"Is she proving more trouble than she's worth?" The leader spoke again, to which Elsa gave a thumbs up. "Need help?" Another thumbs up.

Down below, the leader pointed for the third man to go to her, still under the illusion she was Joe. Dutifully, the black coat started jogging in her direction as she walked back to the cover of a store as if she was going to wrestle 'Ella'.

"I swear, we're going to have double the ransom for H," The leader said in the interval, repeating his thoughts with elaboration which made Elsa shudder in anger. "This is becoming far more trouble than these bitches are worth."

Putting that comment aside for the moment, Elsa waited just out of sight for the assistance to arrive. When he did, before he could even greet Joe, she span around and snapped her palm into his nose. Blood quickly gushed from his nostrils, staining through the thick fabric of his cloth mask.

Wasting no time, she delivered a strong kick into the side of his ribs before neck chopping him. As he slipped over, she lunged, grabbed the scruff of his neck and gave him a powerful uppercut which dazed him into submission. It took her a few moments to pull the heavy foe to the nearest wall, where she froze his wrists to a fire extinguisher.

That, she realised, was probably going to the easiest this plan would be.

"Joe? Rob? What was that?" The leader questioned over the radio. "Is the bitch fighting back?"

Ignoring the rather accurate theory, Elsa edged along the store fronts until she on the corner on the balconies. This was the part she which could confirm or destroy her plan of attack. She'd done it by accident many times before, and had mastered it at eight-years-old despite the lack of practice since. Now or never.

Rubbing her hands together, summoning a chill, Elsa threw a thick mist into the open space in two powerful streams. The clouds diffused to encase the entire promenade in a matter of minutes, causing much confusion from the yells she could hear.

"Joe! Rob! Get down here!" The voice cried, although she could hear perfectly well from this distance. "It's the pigs!"

Under the cover of mist, Elsa kicked off the boots and ran silent footed down the escalator and onto the promenade. Already the swarms of ice crystals were sweeping into a wall which prevented vision beyond a few metres. Not that it was a problem from Elsa; she knew exactly where she was heading and the mist bent to her will. Nothing could stop her now. They were going to pay for the mere thought of harming Anna. She would stay in control, she loathed the idea of killing them, but they were not escaping justice.

The leader could be heard nearby, so Elsa gave him a wide berth as she rounded the fountain to where the other black coat was twisting on the spot, confounded by the unnatural indoor storm. At this end of the room the mist was not quite as opaque; she could see the equally mystified spectators wondering what was occurring inside the mall. She was fairly certain she heard a cheer when she leapt from the smoke and tackled the black coat to the ground. Pushing herself back to full height, she unleashed two freezing blasts from her hands and directed them over the flailing limbs until they were strongly encased. This one swore heavily at the turn of events and Elsa was no longer in a good mood, so she kicked him a less than ethical area; silencing him with his sickened groans.

A gunshot exploded from a few feet away, instantly making Elsa's blood run cold. Soon after a second followed; ricocheting into a high window. When the third came, this one in her direction, she flung a wall of ice up in front of her and listened as bullet after bullet crashed into the foot-thick barricade which replenished itself at Elsa's command. Soon enough the leading black coat realised how unproductive this was, instead aiming his weapon elsewhere.

"Stop!" He called, despite the fact she hadn't done anything to him yet. "Stop! Or I'll shot her!"

These words stopped Elsa in her tracks. With a flick of her wrist she brushed away the mist into nothing, opening up the remaining black coat's vision so they could stand off against each other. It angered Elsa to see the gun pointed at Anna, who was still handcuffed to the bench. The girl looked scared for her life but, if Elsa saw her correctly, she was thankful someone was standing up for her.

"Joe?" The black coat asked, stupidly.

Elsa shook her head, lifting her hand to strike. Unsurprisingly, the black coat did not understand the significance of the gesture. Slowly, she lifted her foot and took a step forwards.

"Ah!" He shouted, jamming the barrel of the gun more forcefully into Anna's shoulder. "Don't you come closer! I will shot her." As if to strengthen his resolve, he clicked the safety off.

It was at this point, though, that Anna used her proximity to snap her foot up into the black coat's shin; making him yell in pain and drop his aim. Elsa took this chance to fling an icicle across the space and tear the weapon from the black coat's grip. She then stomped her foot into the tiled floor, sending a thin sheen of ice across the surface. Kicking off, she slid rapidly and expertly to the central fountain, barrelling the black coat over.

Twisting in motion, she grabbed the chain of Anna's handcuffs. Focusing hard, she expanded the thin metal just enough to make it fragile with cold before she sharply pulled back and ripped the restraint apart.

"Run!" She yelled in the deepest voice she muster, flinging another icicle into an already cracked window which shattered it.

Anna nodded, before sprinting the distance to freedom where the police and an ambulance awaited her.

Once satisfied Anna had made her escape; Elsa turned her attention to the black coat, who had managed to regain his stance. Crossing the unfrozen floor to meet him, she wasted no time in blocking the high punch he attempted. Unfortunately, she did not see the low blow he sent her stomach, which pushed on her ribs.

Momentarily winded, Elsa's knees weakened. This allowed the black coat to elbow the side of her head; only just missing her temple but making her dizzy for a few crucial sections. A kick to her knee dropped her into kneeling, followed by another punch to the back of her head to make her vision blurry. He pummelled her back and sides while she attempted to regain her composure, blinking away the spots in her pupils.

When she did, she painfully lifted her head to see Anna watching expectantly, fists clenched as if routing for her hero. Her hero. _Her _hero.

With a new strength she didn't know she had: Elsa contorted her body to dodge the fist she felt coming her way and grabbed his forearm with all her might. She kicked off from the ground, moving on a trajectory which took her under the black coats armpit and pulled him with her. The man was flung over by this sudden movement, a serious _crack_ ripping from his shoulder as it was his turn to fall to his knees. When he attempted to get back to his feet again, Elsa span around his wounded shoulder, jabbing him there in the process, and smacked her elbow just below his ribcage to introduce him to the treatment he had given her.

Short of breath; the black coat fell back into the cool fountain. As he went Elsa caught the fabric of the balaclava to unmask him. Although, she did not expect to come face to face with the sneering, pained, expressions of the Mayor's Aide. The exact same Aide who she had watched distantly ignore the downtrodden on television this morning.

He tried to push himself out of the water, but found himself unable when Elsa dipped a single finger in to render the liquid a freezing solid.

Trapped, he was effectively stopped and Elsa was able to breathe properly again knowing she had saved her sister. However, this was short lived when a sudden authoritative voice called: "Freeze!"

She looked up sharply to meet the unsure gazes of several Police Officers who had filed in through the broken window. None of them had drawn their own pistols, but the ones facing her had each placed a twitchy hand on their holsters.

Realising they were sharing eye contact, but none of them recognised her in the slightest, Elsa suddenly felt a strange sensation running from her upper chest straight to her brain. Oppurtunity.

"What do you think I've been doing?" She asked back, in a carefully masked voice before she pelted away across the spreading ice which the officers couldn't follow her on.

By the time they had made it across all they were able to locate was a long black coat and a balaclava beside an exit.

* * *

><p><strong>So how was it? Please review.<strong>

**Next update will be soon, hopefully.**


	4. Chapter 3

**With another night of screen-staring comes another chapter(s, too long to leave it as one instalment).**

**Thank you to all those who've reviewed, favourited or followed. I didn't know how well this would go and even just a few who have enjoyed it is worth it. Some of the points brought up have given me more to plan for. One person asked for flashbacks, which isn't a feature in the current stretch of story but may be used in future parts (if I can come up with something as good as an island or the Reverse-Flash).**

**Hope you enjoy! **

* * *

><p>It hadn't been hard for Elsa to find the perfect hiding spot after she escaped the mall. It hadn't been hard to walk through the crowds of people surrounding the building or through the mid-afternoon rush in the streets of Arendelle. It hadn't actually been that difficult to get away from the police.<p>

Striding down into the Mountains, no one looked at her twice; the last half an hour had made her near unrecognisable. This extended even to herself, as when she passed shops windows her reflection was of a very different girl to the prim and smart Elsa Noble. The girl who mirrored her in the glass had her hair in disarray, with strands pulled out of the bun and frizzed up by the static cloth of a balaclava. Her face was flushed, eyes wide from the adrenaline, breathing deeply as if she had just run several miles. Importantly; she was barefooted, having discarded her own shoes and those she had borrowed from a black coat in her get away. When people passing by looked at her, they focused more on her unprotected toes, gathering filth, and tutted disdainfully. It was liberating to be unknown in this kind of environment.

Eventually, Elsa found the place she was looking for amongst the dilapidated buildings in a rougher area of the Mountains. A few homeless people watched her half interested, not realising they were observing a millionaire kicking down the wooden boards covering the entrance to an old underground metro station. Even fewer stayed when she dropped a twenty to each of them and asked them to move away. Then they had just nodded in surprise or rushed off to buy a hot meal while she descended into the shadowy tunnels.

They were dark and damp, and rats squeaked when she walked past them, but she paid no mind to this. A cold wind rushed down the passageways behind her, almost carrying her further in until there was no light. At this point she retrieved her phone from her pocket to use as a torch, illuminating the grey, blue and white tiles and the steep stairwells until she found what she was looking for.

_Noble Corps Research Facility, Keep Out_ was printed on the large door where there would usually be a second gate. It was, of course, locked but that didn't stop Elsa from opening it when she found the tarnished key pad in the wall beside it. In four years, obviously no one thought to delete the password system or detach the separate battery from the door; as when she typed in her father's override of 'E&ANoble2' a bolt clanked within the metal frame and was some effort she managed to push the obstacle wide open.

Beyond this, the pressure of the tunnels opened into a wide hall which had once housed turnstalls for various platforms and later the first of many sections of a research facility. The darkness was impenetrable several feet ahead of her, although that could be righted soon enough.

Elsa felt the wall closest to her and followed it around until her fingers encountered the latches of a loose panel. It was a simple matter of pulling the unscrewed metal plate from the plaster and tiles to pull a mighty switch upwards to bring the lights back on; damply illuminating the circular chamber which had been unused for at least two years. Unsurprisingly, little had changed since the last time she saw this place.

The section of underground railway which had previously been known as 'North Mount Station' had shut down in the late 1980s due to lack of funding, coincidentally closing the surface gates a mere three months prior to her birth. After this, it had fallen into disrepair for close to decade before Adgar Noble decided to purchase the station and several miles of tracks for a use Elsa had never really understood. As far as she could tell, it was a mere extension of the Noble Tower seeing as this entrance hall contained a series of six computer terminals lined against opposite side of the room. The monitors and hard drives were still sitting in the spots they must have been in when the facility was shut down. Doubtless the papers in the few filing cabinets had been recovered and all the electronic documents had been wiped, but there was still a remarkable amount of equipment left behind. Even the noticeboards and chalkboards had been left hanging on the walls, with only smudged markings or pins to suggest there had been information on them previously.

Moving down a corridor in the back of the entrance hall, a threshold she hadn't been allowed to cross on her previous visits, Elsa was met with various stark white branches leading to the many empty platforms through which cold air filtered. In the first platform she visited she found, surprisingly, a makeshift laboratory complete with scientific benches and chemistry apparatus. Further down the pipe-like chamber were four, empty, refrigerators where she supposed promising compounds would be stored. Something the rough size and shape of a train car sat on the rusting tracks, which on closer inspection turned out to be a purpose built isolated lab for particularly dangerous experiments. It made Elsa wonder just exactly what research had been taking place to be relegated to the underground. She'd never really paid attention to the finer details of the company's investments, although if she wasn't mistaken the train carriage lab looked capable of investigating pathogens. If something deadly had been released in the tunnels, it could have spread to all the commuters; creating a local pandemic if powerful enough. For now, she decided it was best to stay away from this room.

What she had thought was a simple, off-site branch of the family organisation became even more bizarre when in the next platform Elsa discovered several crates simply left in the deep contours of the railway. This section seemed reserved simply for the storage of materials no one wanted to reclaim. When she lifted the loose lid off one such crate she found disassembled mannequins for a range of body sizes, although all of them looked to be female at a glance. Another crate she inspected held several hundred pieces of a stretchy, semi-luminescent blue cloth arranged in the ridiculous shape of a spandex body suit. Although, to the touch the fabric was paradoxically softer and tougher than any ski-suit. It almost appeared to be constructed of thousands of shimmering squares, flowing together with each movement. The mystery deepened further.

A third platform she visited in her explorations led her to a rather worrying discovery. The tracks which used to run through this part of the underground maze had been completely blocked off at both ends to allow for a sub-machine gun to stand on a tripod against one wall, pointing at a bullet shattered mannequin directly opposite it. There was a thick glass cabinet with some controls on the inside, while a few of the blue suits hung on a rack beside it. If her working theory was anywhere near correct, then her father's late research would doubtless be completely off the records. Weapons testing was not part of the Nobles' area of expertise. They were not Westerguards.

Wandering down the long halls of the former metro station, Elsa found herself thinking about the events of the last two hours. While she had been on the adrenaline buzz of taking down four armed assailants, she had actually forgotten that constant ringing concern for discovery. She had acted, camouflaged into the criminals, and shown the world her abilities. The people _knew_. The police _knew_. Even Anna _knew. _But they didn't know it was Elsa Noble who had done it. Untraceable.

Except that Arendelle City would not forget the hero who had flung ice with deadly accuracy and called mist into existence like they were calling a dog. Anyone interested by this story would investigate. Even though no one had seen it was actually Elsa who had saved Anna, it wouldn't take a genius to note that a reclusive millionaire had arrived in the city a day before this phenomenon was sighted. Of course, she could always deny the link. But if the imaginary theorists gained any credibility, the authorities may actually investigate her. Then anything could happen.

The anxiety suddenly returned to her in a tidal wave, making the already chilly air drop sharply as ice crystals began to form in the dips between the tiles. There was absolutely no escape from the eclipsing fear that she could one day slip up even worse. Now, unlike all the days before today, there would be people looking for her.

Following this, Elsa fell into a timeless stretch of wandering the deserted halls, interspersed with listless movements and manic testing of her powers. Should she be able to reign in the ice nestled within her every cell, then she would stand some chance. But it became increasingly difficult when that paranoid voice was certain she would be ousted from what small connections she had. Subsequently, when she wasn't trying to force every last snowdrop from her palms she sat in the filthy corners of frozen rooms, reflecting on everything that had led her to this point. Unfortunately, she couldn't find any blame within herself as ultimately the creation of her powers were beyond her control. Similarly, she couldn't blame her parents; seeing as her mother was unaware of her pregnancy the day of that terrible mistake. All Elsa could scream at, when she really thought of it, was the unfair chain of events which brought her to sitting in an abandoned metro station after outright _attacking _four people.

Eventually, she reached a moment of calm. All the energy in damning her existence ceased. She had so much to be thankful for, yet she could only focus on what could potentially go wrong. There was a chance, just as likely as all the other outcomes of today, that she wouldn't be discovered. Elsa Noble could go back to her lonely existence and everyone would forget someone had once manipulated the elements to save a rich girl.

A rich girl. Anna.

It hadn't even occurred to Elsa until now that she had run off without saying anything to her sister, other than a deeply feminine 'run'. Within an hour of promising herself she would never let Anna down, she had done just that.

Blocking out all other thoughts now, Elsa marched back into the main hub to find her way to Anna's apartment or _Oaken's_ or anywhere she might find Anna and apologise for going AWOL. It wasn't right that she had been too concerned with getting herself out of the mall before even asking the younger woman if she was alright. That was something she was not prepared to leave unrectified. Even if she had to grovel.

Just as she was heading away from the rows of desks, she suddenly heard footsteps echoing down from the surface entrance. One set was slow, the other almost weary as sneakers squeaked on the tiles. The familiar sensation of fear ebbed at Elsa's consciousness, making her step back to the centre of the room in order to put some distance between the approaching arrivals and herself.

A thin sheen of ice spread from under her feet, branching out into a two-dimensional fractal pattern which she could walk on comfortably, but these strangers couldn't. All the obstacles it came into contact with were treated similarly, as the frosty layer began to climb table legs and even the walls, ready should it come to defending herself again.

Elsa was surprised, then, when the darkness of the entrance corridor melted away to reveal the hunched form of Pabbie and the short stature of a pale young man she couldn't help but recognise.

"Olaf?" Elsa asked, her panic fading.

"Hi!" He cheerfully, if tiredly, exclaimed as he waved with thin arms.

Grabbing the wall for extra purchase, Pabbie shuffled his way around the circumference of the room until he reached the nearest desk chair, at which point he sat down and activated a frostbitten computer tower. His leaf green coat ruffled in stark contrast with the steady white which decorated the hall.

"I thought I might find you here." Pabbie kindly stated, staring at the screen until he was able to log in. "In fact I hoped you might. Imagine my pleasure when I found this place was in use again."

Elsa watched both the new arrivals with a perturbed expression. Internally, she ran through all the information she had today and realised, given Olaf's presence, it must be nearing midnight. She had been underground for nearly eight hours. That couldn't be right.

"What time is it?" She questioned, truly unaware of anything beyond the twisting walls of the metro. Her phone had been deserted with her shopping when she escaped.

"About quarter to ten?" Olaf conjectured, proving Elsa's theory incorrect. Only six hours.

"How did you get here?" Elsa went on, dully aware Pabbie was typing away at the terminal he was surprisingly familiar with.

"Well, by taxi," The short man absentmindedly answered. "And your private jet got me before my transfer flight arrived."

"I thought you might need a friendly face. Most people do after a fight." Pabbie contributed, fingers still dancing over the keyboard. When he referred to the incident earlier today, it was as casual as a school fist fight over a trivial matter.

"How are you?" Olaf interrupted, ignorant of the collected ice coating the majority of surfaces in the room. For a technological genius, he wasn't the most observant person.

Elsa floundered for words for a minute, completely bewildered by the passage of time and the current strange behaviour.

"Been a bit… up and down," She admitted, glancing back down the corridors where ice and snow were piled high. "Yourself?"

Olaf nodded his head with slow, slightly absent movements. Evidently he was exhausted from travel, but his attention remained on Elsa's wellbeing over his. His hair was messier than usual, the brown locks sticking up all over the place rather than the usual three, and his eyes were slightly glazed over. If he were any paler, he might have camouflaged into refrigerated texture of the metro hub although he must have been wandering around much of rural Norway over the last summer without sunblock as his nose was significantly more tanned than the rest of him.

"There we go," Pabbie said as he gave a resounding, final click on the keyboard. "We shan't be finding more company any time soon."

"What?" Elsa blurted, immediately concerned she could be discovered in a situation where denial would be useless.

"The power for this facility is paid for by the Noble Corporation. As such, when it is in use it is listed with the other expenditures," He explained, unsteadily lifting himself on the slick floor. "I've just edited the system at both ends. Now no one will suspect anyone's been down here."

Elsa nodded as she digested this news.

"You said you were hoping I'd end up here," She slowly said. "There are laboratories and textiles and a shooting range in the tunnels. What did you research here?"

Pabbie took a long look deeper into the old station, a moment of sadness overwhelming him. Then he returned to the present and composed himself.

"We researched you." He revealed matter-of-factly, trying to keep himself as detached as possible. This, however, proved difficult when addressing the woman he had seen grow up.

"Me?" Was all Elsa could say, examining her hands to look anywhere but at Pabbie.

"When we tried to identify any possible cures or suppressants for your condition, we were bound by state enforced laws on how far we could test the samples. Your father was desperate to help you, so this station was bought to disguise the lengths we went to. This facility was officially used for storage and minor compound research. In reality it was a testing ground for experiments no government in their right mind would condone. A major problem with finding a suppressant was that we couldn't locate a creature with the same abilities as yourself, and when we eventually managed it using gestating mice and a close relation to the virus that effected you, down here, all the test subjects were killed by our efforts. It seems any attempt to adjust the temperature differential changed the metabolism to a rate fully mature subjects could not cope with." Pabbie explained, careful to not divulge any of the darker details of the illegal testing.

"So you and mother were correct the whole time? There's nothing you can do?" Elsa pressed, needing to know everything her parents did for her. These lengths would have damaged the family reputation worse than anything Elsa could have ever do with her powers, not counting manslaughter. "Then what was all that fabric?"

"Your mother was unwilling to give up, and she reasoned if she couldn't chemically stop your abilities there might be a way to physically prevent outbursts," The old man revealed, pulling a swatch of the material from a desk drawer. "At around that time, Westerguard Industries began researching a weather-proof, all terrain armour. When you father discovered this, he bought another contract from the military for the same research, supposedly for the medical applications of a semi-permeable material preventing pathogen exposure. With a further batch of mice, we eventually found the material did tamper the conductive process. One such suit was meant to presented to you at University, but sadly your parents accident interfered with this development. After their deaths, the military wanted everything back. I knew these would one day be useful to you, so we sent back only half of the original suits. The rest were hidden down here."

Elsa was stunned by the crimes people had committed for her, torn between condemning the secrecy and being touched they had tried to help her. Pabbie could still go to prison for the rest of his life for withholding supplies from the Army. It was almost too much to take in.

She turned away from Pabbie, finding Olaf looking equally as terrified at the implications of this revelation. The young man twiddled his fingers, pretending to not have listened. He glanced away from the sheer awkwardness of the encounter to soon become genuinely interested in the old computer systems dotted around the hall.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She quietly asked.

"You were distraught in Norway. To reveal this back then would have damaged the last memories you have of Adgar and Idunn," Pabbie admitted. "I was going to tell you after you settled back in here, although it seems coincidence had other plans."

"Well, what do you expect me to do now?" Elsa barely voiced her thoughts in the calm manner she attempted. "Everyone will know about what I can do. They saw it."

"Saw what?" Olaf asked, completely oblivious as he tinkered with the older Microsoft systems.

"What the people of this city saw, Elsa," Pabbie said sternly. "Was a masked individual, who saved another citizen with a remarkable gift without killing anyone. The only person who may have any inkling of your identity is the one person you spoke to."

"Anna." Elsa whispered, feeling a pull to the outside world.

"Does she know where you went?"

"No."

"Then what you should now is go see her. If not to cover your tracks, then to make sure she is alright." Pabbie advised, motioning towards the exit. "You're tired. It's been a bad day. See your sister and come into work tomorrow. We'll figure out what to do after that."

A soft snore echoed from behind Elsa. Upon inspection, it turned out Olaf's fatigue had finally caught up with him.

"You may need to help me get him home before any of that." Pabbie observed.

Elsa nodded.

* * *

><p>The apartment block where Anna lived, situated between the Mountains and the Business District, was actually very nice. Upon entering the lobby, Elsa was met with a kindly doorman and mosaic patterned floors, as well as a roomy elevator designed with soft wood coverings. After explaining her relation to Anna, easily being recognised after tidying up her appearance, Elsa was pointed to the ascending cabin with no further delay.<p>

Her sister's floor was equally rich in décor, having a surprisingly thick carpet underfoot and walls decorated with understandably low priced paintings. This corridor only had two doors, each labelled with the tenants' names. It was therefore not very difficult to locate one Miss Noble.

Checking her faint reflection in the glass of a painting; Elsa made sure her bun was tight with no visible stray hairs. She had dropped by her own home after taking Olaf to his new apartment further into the city, taking a few minutes to right her errant appearance before heading out again to be within the building by no later than ten-thirty. Amongst the small supplies she had chosen she now wore new low heeled shoes, silk patterned gloves and a fresh shirt more in keeping with her wealthy, professional style.

The pale expanse of the door was foreboding to Elsa. She truly had no idea how Anna would treat her now. In all honesty, she'd never really spent enough time with Anna to find out what she did when she was mad. This would be a new experience for both of them. So, forcefully calming her nerves for the moment, Elsa gently rapped her gloved knuckles against the hardwood.

Footsteps creaked on the other side of the door, followed by a brief pause during which Elsa carefully smiled into the peephole. Then she heard several locks _click_ before the wooden partition swung aside to reveal Anna.

Her sister looked remarkably withdrawn from all emotion, showing neither distaste or enthusiasm at Elsa's presence. She had dressed down after the earlier confrontation, now wearing loose sweatpants and a _Green Lantern_ t-shirt. The shirt itself seemed to be several sizes too big for her petite frame, to the extent the lopsided article almost revealed one of her shoulders. It suddenly occurred to Elsa that, if one didn't factor in the inherited wealth, Anna looked just like a regular person; borrowing clothes and not caring what she looked like when alone. On the other hand, Elsa always made the effort to look smart at all times.

"Hi." Elsa offered in a smaller voice than intended.

"Hey." Anna replied, sounding rather frustrated with an overworked drawl.

"How are you?" The older woman was truly uncertain, like always, of her sister's inner thoughts.

Anna was quiet for a few moments, but then waved Elsa into the apartment. Stepping in, Elsa was surprisingly delighted to find the interior well furnished with similar tastes to their parents. Much of the wooden floor was covered with intricately decorated rugs, with the furniture on top of it arranged in the most efficient way to maximise space. Beyond the small hallway, complete with a hat stand and a shoe rack made of dark oak, was a spacious living room with a working fireplace. Inside this room was a large, comfy sofa, as well as two armchairs, all facing the large television set which was currently playing the news. There was an additional chair between one of two large arched windows overlooking part of the Mountains but also most of the richer areas, backed against a filled bookcase of classic fiction. To the left was an equally large kitchen, adorned with all the modern appliances required for day to day living but with the added decoration of marble countertops. In the corner room between the living room and the kitchen was a wide dining room, where a table accompanied with eight high-backed chairs which may see more use than Elsa assumed sat. Indeed, there seemed to be a board game half played waiting for the rules to be recommenced.

"So how are you?" Elsa asked again, standing awkwardly while Anna took a seat on her sofa.

Her sister reached for a half-full bottle of beer, taking a sip before she answered. Glancing to the table top, Elsa noticed there was a second, slightly fuller bottle beside it. She felt like she was missing something.

"After being held at gunpoint and saved by some madman, I'm surprisingly well." Anna stated with some annoyance.

Without meaning to, Elsa released a sigh of relief. Anna was nowhere near knowing it was her who had done the saving. Indeed, she was under the impression it was a man who performed those feats instead. If Anna, who had been closest to her during the event, hadn't recognised her then the scent was off her completely.

Unfortunately, Anna heard Elsa's sigh, which did not improve her mood. She took another swig of her drink before placing it down and motioning for Elsa to sit. The atmosphere was tension ridden, to the point it was almost weighing them both down.

"Elsa," Anna said after a few more moments of suffocation. "Where did you go?"

There was a myriad of emotions in those few words, making Elsa wonder what the best way to answer was. Obviously she couldn't give the truth. But equally she honestly did not know how she could explain her absence without contradicting herself. Anna could have looked everywhere for her for all she knew.

"I, uh, ran away." Elsa stated, trying to stick to as much truth as possible.

"I know _that_," Anna said, shortly. Her eyebrows knit together as her eyes narrowed. Anger. That was definitely anger. "I tried to find you afterwards. I asked everyone present if they'd seen you. None of them had a clue. When I last saw, that goddamn scumbag was chasing you. The police found your bags, your phone with it, so I couldn't call you. It's been _seven hours, _Elsa. Where did you go?"

Elsa sat there, slightly shocked for a moment. Never had she seen Anna so angry. She was truly at a loss for words when her sister had lightly exploded at her. The shock held her so deeply she realised after a few moments there was no way she could form a convincing cover story. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came.

"You know, I really thought," Anna continued, looking so tense and terrifying as she balled herself up on the sofa, eyes never leaving her sister. "When you came to the bar yesterday that we were going to be friends again. I was _so _happy. Do you know how alone I've been these last few years? I thought you hated me, for something I could never remember doing. What did I do to you? What, on God's green earth, did I do to you to make you shut me out?"

Again, Elsa was at a loss. However this time, when she saw rage filled tears begin to leak from Anna's eyes, she nearly spilt all of it. The powers, the accident when they were children, her earlier involvement, everything.

But then the bathroom door suddenly unlocked in the background, revealing the last person Elsa ever wanted to see. It had been ten years since they had last seen each other and fifteen since they had actually spoken. Now, standing in casual jeans and a dark green jersey, hair damp and sideburns trimmed into shape, stood Hans Westerguard. Known to the public as the manager of the Arendelle branch of Westerguard Industries, which his parents ran from his more tropical home of the Southern Isles. Suddenly Elsa understood why there was a half-finished board game and a second beer on the coffee table.

Hans looked between the two sisters, surprised for a start that Elsa was there.

"What's all the shouting about?" He asked concernedly, although Elsa doubted there was any real concern there.

Neither Noble girl made a move to answer, feeling this was a very private matter.

"What's he doing here?" Elsa asked instead, letting more spite into her tone than she really meant.

Anna turned back to her sister lightning fast with even deeper anger etched into her usually chipper face. Elsa reflected that it was a really bad idea to say anything about Hans' presence.

"He's here because, unlike you, he made the effort to make sure I was alright at the mall!" Anna yelled, leaping from her seat with sudden energy. "What's more, he was on the other side of the city when he found out! He made the effort to get to the mall, and _you_ got the hell out of there! You're my sister! You weren't there for me when I needed it! You've never been there!"

As Anna carried on, more tears spilt onto her face in her frustration at being seemingly victimised for something she didn't understand. In comparison, Elsa lost her mastery of her feelings when she was accused of not being there, when she had been there more than anyone. A single drop of cold water slid down her face. That was it.

However, while Anna wound herself up more and more, it was Hans who interrupted the vicious cycle by coming to Elsa's defence.

"Wow, wow, Anna. Breathe," He gently encouraged, closing the space between then and carefully holding her upper arms. "Look, you've had a rough day, but so has Elsa. I can't say anything for whatever happened in your childhood, but Elsa was under just as much threat. She had a chance to get out, and I daresay she was frightened."

To Elsa's begrudging astonishment, Anna listened to Hans. She took a few deep breathes and her anger visibly subsided. Only her tears remained.

"I wouldn't have left you." Anna said, somewhat bitterly before she finally pulled herself together.

"I'm sorry I left you behind," Elsa stated, doing her best to maintain eye contact when every nerve in her body told her to look away. "For all those times."

Anna merely nodded, but sat opposite her with more willing eye contact. Hans picked up his drink as he took a seat beside Anna, only a few short inches away which was far closer than Elsa would have liked.

"So, how are you, Elsa?" He asked conversationally, holding the neck of the bottle just off his lips.

"Well. Slightly stressed," Elsa replied, woodenly. "Forgive me for asking, but why are you here?"

"Oh, yeah, I understand your concern, sorry," Hans said in an awkward manner which echoed how Anna usually spoke. "I just made sure Anna got back here alright. Did some paperwork. Had a quick shower after I'd finished working. Although your sister does a very good job at distracting me with games."

He suddenly blushed, Elsa wondering if he could do it on demand.

"We were playing _Ticket To Ride_. Not what you might be thinking." He clarified, suddenly rather bashful.

Elsa just stared blankly at him, not appreciating the implications. If there was any way to go back in time and make sure she had actually met Anna in the confusion afterwards, she could have put off this inevitable meeting for a little longer.

"Oh! It's on." Anna suddenly called, more like her usual self.

She grabbed the remote and turned the television up. On the screen, a reporter sat in front of projected images of the mall; mainly of its damaged front window but with glimmers of the artificial ice rink in the background. There was footage of ambulances and police cars aligned in a protective circle as a spectator evidently filmed the events from the side lines.

"_Citizens were shocked today when a hostage situation arose at Arendelle Mall." _The reporter said with professional detachment. _"Four gunmen held Anna Noble, youngest daughter of the late Adgar Noble, to ransom after capturing her in a shopping trip. Although, before the police could call in the appropriate forces to deal with the matter, spectators saw a masked figure rescue Miss Noble." _

The screen switched to a grainy recording of said masked figure, who currently sat with her sister and a man she hated, leap from the mist to wrestle a gunman to the ground. Elsa couldn't help but admire the unladylike kick she gave the trapped man who really was less than pleasant. Following this; the footage was edited to show the masked Elsa flicking away the fog, then fling an icicle towards the last gunman. The Mayor's Aide.

"_As you at home can see, this assailant portrays what is believed by some to be cryokinesis. However, we at Arendelle News suggest it is instead expert electronics use of smoke machines and prototype weaponry. Either way, this has been in keeping with national examples which have arisen in the last few months. These examples include Flynn Rider of Corona and the Archer in Dunbroch." _

"Flynn Rider?" Elsa asked aloud, looking to her sister for answers. "The Archer?"

"Mad people," Hans unwantedly supplied. "Trying to fight organised crime in fancy clothes. If we get one here I think we could form the Avengers."

"_The assailant disappeared before they could be apprehended, but the four gunmen were all arrested. Most of them, after investigations, have been found to be ex-convicts. The fourth has been identified as George Jones, known in local government to be an Assistant to Mayor Weselton. He is currently being held in the county jail, awaiting bail._

"_When asked, the Mayor defended Jones; saying that he finds it highly unlikely Jones would willingly involve himself in this scenario. Until further evidence of his contributions is found, Jones will be omitted from prosecutions and is expected to resume his duties tomorrow. There is expected to be a full enquiry within town hall in the next few weeks."_

The reporter moved onto a different story like he was reading synopsises on the internet, leaving the three young adults to be outraged.

"I can't believe it!" Anna yelled again. "He held a bloody gun to my shoulder! There's no way the Weasel can defend him like that!"

"Even if he does, there's plenty of evidence against Jones," Hans contributed, becoming a tall, almost confusedly mad parody of the girl. "Not least in that there are two hundred witnesses who can place him at the scene."

Elsa remained quiet, but the muscles in her fingers contracted to the point it felt like she was going to break her own hands. If the city had got to the point its Mayor would still promote shifty advisors, then there was something seriously wrong with the justice system. In less than twelve hours, the man who had almost shot her sister and given her a few choice bruises on her lower chest would be walking into the City Hall, practically free. There was a disturbing feeling in her heart that she actually_ wanted_ to punch him in the face again.

Anna and Hans calmed down after a few moments. The unwanted company shook his head as he moved through to the dining room, taking stock of the paused game. Elsa's main concern, her younger sister, rubbed her face in frustration and heaved a final sigh.

"Do you want a drink?" She asked, turning to Elsa with the kind eyes most associated her with. For now the older girl was forgiven.

"No, thank you. Don't worry," Elsa replied, rising and glancing to the door. "I should be going anyway; I'm meant to have my first board meeting in the morning."

"Oh," Anna said, her saddened voice bringing guilt back into Elsa's focus. "Okay."

"But I'm not doing anything tomorrow evening," Elsa contributed before she realised she was speaking. "If you're not working we could go to the cinema? Or a restaurant? Have a proper catch up."

Anna's face, which always mirrored her exact thoughts and feelings, pulled itself into a hopeful expression which was extraordinarily surprised but pleased simultaneously.

"Yeah. No, I'm not working," She answered, beginning to fidget in excitement. "I'd love to! Erm, I could show you some of the more 'happening' places? And I'll try not to be abducted this time."

"Yes, that would be a good idea," Elsa beamed, stepping towards the doorway. She stopped when she spotted one wall decoration which had been hidden to her up until this point. "Is that _Joan of Arc_?"

A gigantic, over-ornate frame commanded an entire section of the living room wall. The canvas it held was of a well-aged oil rendering of the French hero, sitting astride a white stallion in the midst of battle. Her shining sword was held high above her head, silver shield tight against her sparkling armour as she looked back at whomever she was fighting. It was a vivid piece of realist art, though not without its beauty.

"Hmm? Oh yeah," Anna said nervously when she realised what Elsa meant. "I kind of, may have taken it from Dad's gallery when I moved out. Sorry."

"No, don't be," Elsa assured admiring the art which had cost several thousand. "Keep it. I was never really into paintings, anyway. It is nice though."

"It's my favourite," Her sister stood beside her, studying the canvas intensely. "It's not often you have a female action hero."

Elsa, stiffened a moment, then agreed.

"I should be going now. I've got exercises to do," She said, crossing back into the corridor while Anna held the door. "But shall we meet at the Tower? Around half-six."

"Yeah, yeah. Of course!" Anna enthusiastically replied, trying to keep herself from fidgeting too much. "I'm really sorry for yelling at you. Like Hans said, it's been a strange day."

"No, I have been crap. I'm trying to do better," Elsa stated, regret clear as day. "I have a lot to catch up on."

Anna didn't say anything, but her smile didn't falter either.

"Goodnight, Elsa." She said, offering a small wave.

"Goodnight." Elsa replied, making to walk to the elevator.

"'Night Elsa!" Hans shouted, appearing from the corner of the kitchen to gesticulate in some form of wave while the elder Noble was still in sight.

Remaining silent, Elsa merely gave Hans Westerguard a tight smile before she disappeared.

* * *

><p><strong>Please Review<strong>


	5. Chapter 4

**Oh? What's this? A double update? Or the product of an afternoon spent writing when I should be studying. Whoops.**

**Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

><p>An early, rested morning brought Elsa to another part of her dread for returning home. The mandatory first day of work. If she had her way, everyone would skip straight to her second day at the Noble Corporation; when she would already be separate from the employee's expectations of the mysterious new CEO. Up until now, the company had been drifting under the split management of Pabbie and her absent Uncle. From today there would be only one name associated with all the risings and fallings of the organisation.<p>

To say she felt pressured as she walked through security in the lobby was an understatement. Whilst they checked all her identification, complete with mandatory searches of her briefcase and handbag, she looked around the gleaming interior of the building. It really was the sleekest example of modern architecture available; everything in varying shades of white, black and grey. There were a host of receptionists ready to book in all visitors at the long desk spanning much of the lobby. Beyond the interior windows, a central south facing courtyard basked in the limited light the layout allowed and she could see straight across to the cafeteria. Very modern.

"Thank you for waiting, Miss." The broad shouldered guard said, handing back her belongings.

It seemed that in her absence the board had decided they needed a tight hold on what came in and out of the building. Even though a platoon of dark-shirted men carried tasers in case of an extreme problem, the silk suited men upstairs felt it was necessary to install heavy metal shutters above the entrance should they need to lock down the labs and offices. Additionally, the glass up to the fifteenth floor was bullet proof; giving the world outside a distinctly dark tint. Elsa really felt none of this was really required of a company which dealt mainly in pharmaceuticals. Most of the other departments were run on the outskirts of the city.

After checking in, receiving her pass and notifying reception that Anna would be visiting later Elsa entered a shiny, silent cubicle which carried her directly to the top floor, which was reserved for managerial positions only. When she opened the door to her office, she was thankful that Pabbie was there waiting for her.

"Good morning." He greeted, looking down at the smaller than ant-sized people in the streets.

"Good morning," She repeated, placing her coat on the hat stand and her briefcase on the glass desk. "What's on the agenda today?"

The view Elsa's office commanded was immense. One entire wall was dedicated to a curved expanse of glass which allowed a panoramic view of the city. On inspection she was able to spot _Oaken's_ and Anna's apartment building, which were a decent four miles away from each other. Behind these landmarks sat the ever present and ever worrying stretch of the Mountains, which were somehow still gloomy despite the shimmering summer sun. To the far right, Elsa found the rooftop of the Westerguard Tower was more or less on the same level; filled with ventilation motors and a single helipad. It wasn't a bad sight overall.

"The meeting's in about five minutes," Pabbie recalled, paying attention to the middle section of the Mountains where the Research Facility sat. "Then the standard paperwork and you'll have to be introduced to all the heads of departments. An hour for lunch. Then a few applicants to be your PA."

"Doesn't sound too bad." Elsa commented, inspecting her desk next.

"Wait until you meet the shareholders," Pabbie simply stated, stepping away from the window and looking at Elsa. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright. Jet lag's gone," She reported, activating her desktop. She understood Pabbie's meaning, but was reluctant to say anything out loud. "And I have a meeting with the Mayor at five so I need to be out by half-four."

"Did you see Anna?"

"Yes."

"Was everything alright?"

Elsa paused, partly due to being unable to access her login but mostly due to her impromptu review of the night before. After pressing the button designated for technical help, she attempted to sum up the events of her visit.

"She was upset at first. We're meeting later." It was best kept short, without a rant about the questionable presence of Westerguard. Even more questionable now that Elsa realised the man kept spare clothes in Anna's apartment.

"Does she know?" Pabbie was intent in understanding the situation completely.

"No. She thinks it was a man yesterday."

"Good," He simply stated, tenting his fingers whilst considering all his knowledge of the past few days. "And what I said yesterday, how do you feel about that?"

Stiffening with the reminder of all the crimes Pabbie and her parents had collectively committed, Elsa met the old man's eye. He was monumentally concerned by what she thought of it all, she could see that easily. But there seemed to be some planning going on in his head, like he still knew more than he would willingly reveal.

"I'd like to investigate it further. For now I'm just focussing on the next twenty-four hours." She answered, just before a buzzer went at the office door.

Unlocking it from the controls at her desk, another pointless security routine, the door swung open to admit a dishevelled but altogether tidier Olaf. He was far more awake than his fatigue filled appearance yesterday, his enthusiasm increasing with it in a relationship Elsa thought she could express as an exponential equation.

"Someone called for assistance?" He chirped, practically running to the computer in excitement.

"Yeah, can you sort out my internet? I'm not authorised yet, apparently." Elsa described the problem, having never really taken an interest in the technological advancements of her childhood. This ran to the extent she barely knew how to work her iPhone.

"Yeah, sure! That's only minor," He cried, ushering her away from the desk as he grabbed the keyboard. "I've spent the entire morning getting to know the system. If only your firewalls were like those guys on the doors. They remind me of my brother."

"Elsa, we have the meeting." Pabbie reminded, walking out the still ajar door.

"I'll be there in a minute," Elsa responded, quickly checking her phone and throwing a smile in Olaf's direction. "Thanks for this, lunch later?"

"Of course! I'll meet you in the cafeteria." Olaf answered happily, soon slipping into a computer driven trance.

Elsa found the boardroom after wandering the corridors for a few moments, unfortunately arriving after all the other members. Many of them were bland faced bureaucrats or pencil pushers, lining the table with only a financial interest in the company. Pabbie took the seat beside Elsa's place at the head of the table, giving the other people present a wary glare. As soon as she sat down in the large leather seat the man to her other side began speaking. If she remembered correctly, his name was Goddard.

"Alright everyone, let's keep this short," He opened, gaining everyone's attention and ceasing any whispers. "First of all, I'd like to welcome Miss Noble, who as you all know is taking over as Chief Executive. Let's give her a round of applause."

The resulting chorus of claps were half-hearted, making Elsa internally cringe though she smiled politely nonetheless.

"Any words before we get down to business?" Goddard asked, leaning towards her but facing the others.

"No, not really. Just a general hello, and I look forward to working with you all." Elsa decided to, in Goddard style, 'keep it short'. She already didn't like him.

They slipped into quick discussions over general matters, many of which Elsa did not need to weigh in on. It seemed the company was largely under control with Pabbie keeping a hold over the projects each department had going. She did observe, however, that whenever Pabbie suggested another venture on the fringes of biological knowledge Goddard would _huff_ in annoyance. That particular habit began to get on Elsa's nerves after only ten minutes sat next to him. These projects were what the company was primarily about, not making a profit. The wealth was just a happy by-product.

"What's the problem?" Elsa asked forcefully after Goddard made the disgruntled sound when Pabbie asked about the possibility of expanding research of adaptive cell rejuvenation.

"Dr Pabbie has several of these ideas every day and it's been keeping a lot of the departments preoccupied." Goddard explained, failing to see his own stupidity.

"That's what the company exists for; ideas like these keep us going." Elsa defended, angered at the dismissive nature the board members exhibited.

"Well, _yes_, but there does come a point when these projects are doing more harm than good," The businessman said, tapping a shiny pen against the unused notepad in front of him. "After all, the company has been fluctuating between profits and losses for the past three years."

Elsa was struck by the fact she had not heard about this sooner. She had absolutely no idea what they meant.

"I beg your pardon?" The question was evidently absent of any knowledge, but Elsa asked it all the same.

"After Mr Noble left us, the company dipped significantly in the market. We had to lay off twenty-five percent of our workers and shut down any branches we didn't need," Goddard explained like it was a game. "Our stock only began recovering when the news broke you were returning. But regardless of our growth on the market, we are nowhere near where we stood while your father sat in your place. We cannot afford to run all these 'ideas'. When we negotiate the merger, then we might be able to invest more, but until then-…"

"Merger?" Elsa interrupted, having understood the gist of Goddard's meaning. It wasn't as if the company would collapse in the next few days. They were sitting on a reserve of _billions._ "What merger?"

Goddard was apparently surprised she was unaware of this, given the eyebrow-raised stare he sent towards Pabbie. When Elsa rounded on him, the old man wore a significantly guilty expression.

"We have been discussing a merger with Westerguard Industries for the last few months. Many of the board believe it's the right thing to do to regain interest." He unwillingly stated, keeping his eyes as blank as possible.

"What?! With the Westerguards?" Elsa could barely contain her outrage, feeling the cold ache in her hands when she processed what that meant.

"They approached us," Goddard revealed without concern. "In fact, your sister's boyfriend is very enthusiastic it goes ahead."

"Let me make one thing clear, right now," Elsa commanded, in a voice she had never used before. She felt such venom in throat she had to spit her hatred at somebody. "We are not joining with another company, especially not the Westerguards."

"Then what do you expect us to do?" Goddard inquired, outraged as the order.

"The research which lined your pockets in the first place, even if we have to spend more to achieve it," She stressed, staring down each and every discoloured face in the room. "I will not let this company leave my family."

* * *

><p>At five o'clock promptly, Elsa strode into the City Hall with her general grievances of the day bubbling beneath her skin in a cold fire which pushed on her senses. As the day had gone on, she became more and more convinced she was not cut out to run the Noble Corporation. After the meeting, during which she had ordered all decisions to go through her as per the role of CEO, she had spent three hours signing various applications for funding and assessing the expenditures in case they could cut costs anywhere. There had been almost no time to see Olaf at lunch, although he seemed happy enough, due to an urgent meeting with the police to question her on the Mall attack. Luckily, the police were unable to pull any CCTV evidence given the criminal's tampering; allowing her to gloss over the fact she never escaped. Instead she fabricated a story that someone who she didn't see took down her pursuer as she reached an exit. Hopefully that wouldn't disrupt the course of justice too much.<p>

As she was shown up to the Mayor's office, Elsa took a good look around the inner workings of the local government. The people did not appear any different to what she expected, but it wasn't them she was particularly inspecting. Instead, she was searching amongst the desks and piles of paper and potted plants for _him_. Jones.

He couldn't actually be spotted until she was shown to the Mayor Weselton's door. Spying through the glass pane, Elsa was met with the highest political power in the city and the man who had threatened her sister talking quite amiably. They didn't even act like colleagues all that much, although it was clear who the subordinate was. There was no doubting these men were friends. It made Elsa sick to consider.

Their conversation swiftly drew to a close when the scarecrow-esque man spotted her. Jones exited with a heavy tread, but took the opportunity, while passing Elsa, to give an emotionless sneer. He didn't even try to hide his pride at the events of yesterday, even though he was meant to be under investigation. How could Weselton even begin to deny Jones' involvement?

"Ah, Miss Noble. How wonderful to meet you." Weselton said, offering her a handshake which she reluctantly accepted. He was even shorter in person, but his face was magnified enough by his glasses to be compared to a monkey. A chicken man with a monkey face, who defends criminals, was running the city.

"Likewise." She lied, taking a seat at his desk.

"What can I do for you?" He asked conversationally, although his shrew-like eyes seemed to be prying into her inner thoughts. "It's not often I meet with the big bosses. I have to say, you're very secretive in that tower of yours."

"Most of research is kept that way, we don't want competitors catching onto us," Elsa briefly explained, knowing her father's policy rather well by now. "But I'm not here for work. I just wanted to ask why you bailed out the man who was going to shoot my sister."

Weselton looked genuinely surprised she had brought up this subject. As if he was unaware Anna Noble was in any way related to Elsa Noble or George Jones was meant to be in prison by all account of the law. He blinked twice, gathering an answer, before trying to sell his argument.

"Because I don't think he was a mastermind in all this. Obviously he was blackmailed." Weselton said like it was a largely simple matter.

"Not a mastermind? He directed someone to chase me!" Elsa practically shrieked as her patience began to fray.

"I grant you that George has the leadership skills for an operation like that, but as I say; I don't think he willingly did it," Weselton repeated in a higher pitched voice than his greeting had been. "In fact he's just told me he was forced into it."

Elsa found it incredibly hard at this point not to yell and freeze the desk, her fingertips prickling with the desire to let it all out. While she'd been gone it really did seem the entire city had gone mad.

"And who forced him?" She simply asked, falling into her breathing exercises to keep the lid on her bottled emotions.

The Mayor looked around himself suspiciously, glancing out of the closed door to make sure no one was listening.

"This is meant to be confidential information, but since you're a subject of the attack you may as well know," Weselton justified in a conspirational whisper. "George has just informed me, as he informed the police this morning, that the hostage situation was the work of that vigilante person."

"Excuse me?" Elsa cried slightly louder than she intended.

Weselton nodded. "Apparently, George was threatened to lead the abduction by this madman. Some terrorist with a hero complex. The plan was George and some of this man's lackeys would abduct you and your sister, so that the lunatic could rescue them. It's this vigilante we should be after."

Of course, Elsa did not believe a single word of this. If she had lived any other life, she might have bought it. But having been this vigilante she certainly knew Weselton's words could not be any further from the truth. What worried her about this spin, however, was that there would now be more investigations into the vigilante's presence which could threaten her position more than she thought it would. After speaking to Anna, she'd felt safe. Now, there was the slow acting fear of expectation.

"Obviously, the vigilante turned on poor old George, buying himself enough time to throw the scent off his trail," The Mayor went on, doing a nice job of being convinced. "Although I will not tolerate any of this caped crusader business they've been experiencing elsewhere. Believe me, dear, he will not get away with this."

"No, _he_ won't." Elsa concurred, though she differed on the matter of subject.

* * *

><p>As evening began to draw in, Anna stepped out of the car Elsa had arranged to ferry her around to enter the Noble Tower. They had spoken very briefly around half-past five to finalise their plans for the evening. It had unfortunately turned out that Elsa was required to meet with one Dr Bulda on the outside of the city; meaning she would be late in reaching their meeting point. However, Anna decided to go to the tower anyway on her wish to break her tardy reputation and told Elsa she would wait just inside the lobby.<p>

The security guards took a single look at her before letting her pass through, having been told in advance the younger Noble was likely to make an appearance. Really, the initial checks were a formality and it was too late in the day for the guards to care about someone who had quite a sizable amount of stock in the company.

When she walked to the nearest seating area, she was met with the idle waves of clocked-out employees on their way home; none of whom paid her any real attention Over the last few years she had periodic appearances, so most of the workforce was familiar with her presence. Besides, she was always the least famous Noble. That accolade belonged to her sister, as did many titles. She was just Anna, or so she felt.

Whilst she waited, her phone went off in time with a series of vibrations. Quickly pulling it from her skinny jeans, she glanced at the ID in hopes Elsa would soon be with her. Instead it was a text from Hans.

_Hey, u goin out wiv ur sis 2nite?_ It read simply, another in long line of exchanges between them.

Anna wasn't really sure what she would have done without Hans. After her parents had died and Elsa went to University, she had been left in a kind of emotional limbo. During childhood she'd missed out on the 'making friends' stage of social interaction, so when she finally came to be a socialite in her early teens she found herself awkward and quite nerdy; qualities which didn't sit well with other upper class adolescents. Even more so, she'd been branded with her sister as a loner, no matter how much she truthfully denied her supposedly cold nature. That was all Elsa.

Then she'd met Hans by accident when a mosh pit had nearly knocked her to the ground. His quick hand had shot out to save her from being trampled on and they'd been friends ever since. He too was socially unsure, as he'd been raised the youngest of thirteen in a strictly religious household. Out of the many stories he'd shared about growing up, the one which struck Anna the closest to home was how three of his brothers had ignored him completely for a number of years. They had eventually fallen into a routine of frequent nights out and nights in; when he would stay over at her apartment or she'd go out to visit him in his lakeside lodge. Once or twice they had even contemplated dating, but Anna had declined putting any labels on their relationship for the time being. She wanted friends first.

_Yeh m8_. Anna texted back. _Waitin in N Tower 4 her now. See ya tomoz x_

The lobby was more or less empty by this point, with only the stragglers still to leave. One man, who must have only just been on the older side of twenty, wandered by totally engrossed in his tablet. So engrossed that he didn't notice Anna's legs sticking out into the floor until gravity had already taken its toll.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry." Anna quickly apologised, getting up to help the man.

"Hey! Don't worry, I wasn't watching where I was going!" The pale man seemed too hyperactive to be ticked off by the accident, which Anna appreciated heavily. Twice before now she had done the same thing to men who were less than pleased with being introduced to the ground.

"Are you alright?" She asked, giggling slightly at his eccentric hairstyle and tanned nose, along with his unshakeably happy demeanour.

"Nothing's broken, which is good! Can't be injured on my first day!" He exclaimed, looking down to his tablet for any cracks.

"Oh, okay. Really sorry," Anna said, not really sure what to expect from him next. "Mr…?"

"Olaf, just call me Olaf." He enthusiastically introduced, shaking her hand with stick thin fingers.

"Alright. I'm Anna," She greeted. "Anna Noble."

Olaf seemed to have an extra-manic surge when she mentioned her name. "Elsa's sister?! No way!"

"You know Elsa?" Anna asked, genuinely surprised by the first name term.

"Oh yeah, we were in University together!" Olaf responded instantly, studying her features. "I can see the resemblance! She was always taking about you!"

That last sentence shocked Anna much more than any other revelation up to this point. For years she had been under the impression Elsa was indifferent to her existence. She thought her sister's disappearance the day before just proved that all the more. Now she felt all the more awful for her behaviour when Elsa came to check on her. Perhaps she had been all wrong about their relationship.

"Hey, I gotta go! Gonna miss my train!" Olaf resumed after a short silence, beginning to hurry off towards the exit. "Hopefully I'll see you again sometime! Nice meeting you!"

Anna shook herself out of her trance to see she was the only person left in the lobby, excluding security, now Olaf was leaving.

"You too!" She called after him as he disappeared around a corner.

It was as the pale man was leaving that a group of burly men marched towards the entrance from outside. They didn't really catch Anna's attention at first, not until a few of them reached into their long, black coats and pulled out tasers. No time was wasted as they quickly took down the limited security guards still on duty, grabbing the Noble girl's attention with the crackle of electricity.

She recognised the uniform, identical to the people who had held her hostage the day before. Their balaclavas made them all look like mirror images of one another, so that when Anna tried to count them she had difficulty as they moved in a disorganised group. As far as she could tell there were more than ten of them.

The last one to enter swung at the alarm button under the nearest security desk; making a klaxon wail throughout the building and the shutter automatically descend over every possible exit she had. Before she could react, she was sealed in.

Her phone went off again, instinctively calling her to look down at the message. It was from Hans.

_Hope u enjoy ur evening :D x_

* * *

><p><strong>Next time; a confrontation. <strong>

**Please review.**


	6. Chapter 5

**So here we are: the grand reveal and first official face-off of superhero Elsa. Sorry it took slightly longer to post but the choreography was quite hard to figure out. Personally, I'm still not happy with the ending of this chapter, so some details may be edited in the not too distant future (although nothing too important). I'm also going to do a huge grammar check of everything so far, since I've realised how bad some of the mistakes are. Sorry about all that, I should really start reading things back.**

**A huge thank you to everyone who's reviewed or followed this story so far. Hope you continue to enjoy it.**

* * *

><p>Elsa was first aware something was not right when Kai hit traffic four blocks away from the Noble Tower. It was nearing seven in the evening; a time of day when the bulk of commuters had left this area of the city to return to their homes and enjoy time off. In theory the streets should be virtually empty of all vehicles. But when they approached the stretch of road leading to the building bearing her name Kai had to screech to a sudden halt to avoid crashing into an unexpected queue of dark cars, all honking their horns.<p>

"What's going on?" Elsa asked when she peered through the windshield at several hundred yards of stationary automobiles. She was antsy to reach her destination given her introduction to Dr Bulda had run longer than intended.

"I've no idea, Miss," Kai answered, stepping out of the car briefly to gaze down packed roads. "I think I can see a Swat van."

The very mention of this police unit sent Elsa's stomach plummeting. If the scene and the Swat team hadn't worried her enough, realising who should roughly be in the same place opened a barely scabbed over wound on her nerves.

"Wait here," She ordered as she unbuckled her belt and exited the vehicle. "If you can, turn the car around, then wait for me to get back."

Kai only had time to nod before Elsa sprinted off on adrenaline powered legs, carrying her out of earshot in under a minute. Mildly interested wanderers flashed by her as she raced across busy roads and skirted around the front of buildings to the source of the hold-up. What she found neither surprised her nor quieted her fears.

The roads which ran around the Noble Tower were cordoned off by bright orange barriers, where a small team of police officers did their best to keep the interested strangers at bay. It was a struggle to reach the front of the jostling crowd, but that didn't stop Elsa from spotting at least three swat vans and a fleet of black police cars parked haphazardly on the sidewalks, in the middle of the street or on top of the plaza outside the shuttered doors of the building. A small regiment of black-helmeted, bullet-proof uniformed men held a defensive position around the perimeter of the glass walls while lower ranked officers marched around them to peer through the tinted window panes. There was an unbearable amount of chatter hollering on her ears, although it didn't stop her from grabbing a nearby policewoman's attention when she yelled.

"You have to stay back, Miss." The woman coldly stated, reaching out to push Elsa back in amongst the nosy herd.

"No," Elsa argued back. "This is my building; I'm Elsa Noble. _Let me through_."

A hard tone from the young woman shattered the officer's power, and soon Elsa was half-jogging, half-walking to find the officer with the most medals on his lapel. Her fingers felt stiff under the silk gloves, dying to transfer the freezing forces beneath them to the outside world. It took much of her concentration to quell this urge.

"Are you in charge here?" She called to a man who seemed to be giving orders to several subordinates. At the very least, he had more decorations on his uniform than anyone she'd seen.

"Elsa Noble?" He asked back, appearing to recognise her for her expensive attire and arrow-like posture.

"Yes."

"Captain Latimer." He introduced, although Elsa really couldn't care less what he was called at this point. She had to _know _what was going on first.

"What's happening?" She yelled over the sudden roar of a helicopter which travelled over the area at a rather low altitude.

Latimer seemed to deliberate over the details, deciding if he could and should divulge everything he understood about the situation. To prompt him further, as well as cut out the torturous pauses, Elsa gave a glare so powerful it actually made the grown man shrink away from her slightly.

"A group of men have taken over your building," He quickly revealed. "They've activated the security sequences so we can't get in, although they haven't made any demands yet."

This much Elsa could have deduced by herself. There was something much more important she needed to know.

"Is my sister in there?" She asked; her toughened demeanour cracking with fright at the very idea.

Latimer took a pointed step back as he said; "We think so."

Ringing suddenly overrode everything Elsa could hear as she was certain she was about to have a panic-attack. It felt almost as if she had been dealt a mortal blow, staggering back like she'd been hit with a bullet. Her ribcage contracted into itself to choke her from the inside out while all her mind could focus on was the reality. Yesterday, she had been in a similar situation. Yesterday, she had had the chance to help. Today; she was locked outside whilst Anna was in _there_ with people who could kill her and not care. There was no conceivable point of entry, even if the windows were shot at. The only chance anyone had of breaking into the Tower now was to shatter the glass of the sixteenth floor where the structure was weaker. Even then, they would have to find Anna and a team of armed law enforcement were not entirely subtle about their presence.

"Sir!" A younger officer called from a nearby police car. "We have them on the radio!"

Swiftly, Latimer strode to the car to snatch the transceiver from his inferior. Elsa quietly followed behind him, wanting to sickeningly know every detail of the situation which could lead to her sister's demise.

"Am I speaking to the leader?" Latimer spat into the microphone over the hissing static.

_"Yes."_ A hazy voice on the other end replied.

"First of all, I want you to know you are surrounded on all sides," The police captain relayed, staring intently at the dark window of the Tower. "Secondly, any attempt at blackmail will not be tolerated"

_"Oh, I think it will,"_ The hated man said through the radio._ "We have Anna Noble with us, and if you don't give in to our demands then she is not meant for this world much longer."_

Elsa's hands tightened into fists, and she glared at the whole tower from top to bottom. Her ice blue eyes swept over the glacier-like structure with more rage than she had ever felt in her entire life. For once, this anger was not so much turned inwards on herself; but was focussed on everything she didn't like that she could spot. The gunmetal grey shutters of the lobby doors, the unnecessary security for fifteen floors, even the Westerguard Tower standing parallel next door. Only this morning she had looked down from her office onto its rooftop. Now she was an ant compared the impenetrable fortress.

The rooftop.

"What are your demands?" Latimer spitefully asked after a moment of consideration.

_"We want you to call Little Miss Big Boss of this company. Tell her to wire one billion dollars to our accounts by ten o'clock, or Ginger here will fall from the first window I can open,"_ The voice listed, dispassionate about the repercussions. _"Once we have the money, I want you to let us out of the front door. No one will shoot at us and we will release Red when we reach a safe, isolated distance."_

Elsa stayed just long enough to hear the conditions before she slipped away. She heard Latimer yell for her to come back, though she didn't pay him attention. The only thing she did was push her way back through the crowds and reach for her phone.

On mental autopilot, she dialled in the first number that came to mind. Olaf. Her phone rang four times before he answered.

"_Hello?"_ He said over the interference of noisy people on his side of the line. _"Elsa?"_

"Did you say you familiarised yourself with the computer system at the Tower?" She asked, locating Kai quickly enough to be pulling away at seven-fifteen. Two hours and forty-five minutes to act.

"_Yeah!"_ Olaf yelled enthusiastically, followed by a puzzled "_Why?"_

"Where are you?"

_"South Mount Station!"_ He said, again followed by _"Why?"_

Elsa swallowed, allowing her determination to fill her heart and head as Kai drove aimlessly through the hectic streets.

"Meet me at the Research Facility, the one from last night," She ordered. "Bring your A-game."

She didn't leave any room for debate as she abruptly hung up, directing her next instructions to Kai.

"Take me to the Mountains, to the corner of twentieth and thirteenth street." Elsa commanded, as her driver instantly turned a sharp bend to head in that direction.

There was only one more call she needed to make. Pabbie.

* * *

><p>"You're going to do what now?!" Olaf asked, the first time Elsa had seen him speak without his standard incorrigible excitement since their finals. He actually had to take a seat when the madness of the idea made his legs unstable on the cold floor of the Research Facility.<p>

She looked at him with such determination he didn't attempt asking a second time. Even though she outwardly appeared collected her internal voice of reason analysed every aspect of her rough plan again and again. The number of holes she could now find in her innumerable plans were too great to count. This had to be done exactly right, otherwise it would cost Anna her life. Elsa gritted her teeth when she realised that it would not be the first time her sister's life was threatened by a small mistake on her part.

"Look, all I need to know is can you hack the Westerguard's security and can you get into the CCTV in the Tower?" Elsa questioned, glancing to the far end of the corridor where Pabbie quickly ambled from with the supplies she needed.

"Well yes, I can," Olaf admitted, turning to the ancient computer system which was booting to the login screen. "But from this monstrosity it will take a while and even then I may as well just unlock the Noble building."

"No," She adamantly argued. "Let the police in, anything can happen. If it's just me, I can take them by surprise."

Pabbie slipped across the still frozen floor semi-gracefully, thrusting the items into her hands. When she had called him he had just been getting home. All it had taken to summon him here was an explanation of her half-baked strategy. He had, however, taken longer to reach the Facility and had arrived carrying recent purchases which included a high quality earpiece set to provide constant communication along with a curved parcel in tissue paper which hadn't been opened yet. For now, though, Elsa studied the blue suit Pabbie had brought from the storage platform.

"Elsa, are you sure about this?" He asked, torn between keeping her safe or risking both the Noble girls' lives.

"To be honest, not really," She answered, feeling the metallic fabric under her thumb. "You said this had military applications. Will it protect me from bullets?"

He regarded the stolen material thoughtfully for a few moments. Obviously the pressure of this hare-brained scheme worried him enough to make him forget his facts. Usually he could regurgitate detailed knowledge on a whim.

"It's bullet proof up to point blank range," The old man recalled, fingers shaking as he essentially recommended the suit for a use it was never meant for, at least not on Elsa. "It was originally intended to be lightweight protection for soldiers. However, the closer a shot is fired from the less of the impact it absorbs. You may come out of this with some very nasty bruises."

"Literally the last thing I'm worried about." Elsa commented, placing the suit on a nearby desk and starting to undo her blouse.

Olaf and Pabbie each gave her an alarmed look as she removed the outer layers of her clothes, before promptly turning their backs on the half-naked woman.

"What?" She asked, starting to pull the legs of the military textiles over her own, which was quickly followed by her professional outfit. "I'm not walking through the streets dressed like a disco ball."

"You could have done that somewhere else." Pabbie reprimanded, having averted his eyes until she had put her work clothes over the blue suit beneath.

"I have no time for modesty and judging by how this fits I'll be forgoing certain aspects of mystery for the evening." Elsa commented in return, feeling the garment stretch across her shoulders as she slung her silk shirt back on.

"Don't you also hate train station bathrooms?" Olaf innocently asked, turning his attention to the screen upon which a various array of codes raced by under his swift fingers.

Elsa ignored him, straightening her collar to disguise the fact there was another layer to her attire. There were unfortunately no mirrors around to make sure she looked presentable, although she reasoned it would appear her build was more solid than usual. She hoped no one would notice that.

"Done it!" Olaf cried from the computer terminal, having successfully managed to access the security footage.

All eyes were on the grainy feeds of the empty corridors within the Noble Tower. They were monochrome and slightly hazy due to the poor screen display but they were able to make out one or two of the kidnappers searching the building. Despite her best efforts, Elsa was unable to spot Anna at that point. A calendar in the corner of the desktop showed that the time was just coming around to eight o'clock.

"Okay, Olaf, you will be my eyes," Elsa informed him, picking up an earpiece from the set Pabbie had procured. "You have to tell me where I can find them and keep a watch on Anna when you see her. I'm relying on you."

Olaf swallowed thickly and nodded. Hopefully, when it was demanded of him, he could keep his focus.

"One more thing Elsa," Pabbie said as she prepared to leave. "Don't let them see who you really are."

He handed her the unopened parcel, which she promptly unwrapped with a _snapping _tear. Underneath the soft tissue was a slim blue domino mask, which glinted in the overhead light. Cool to the touch, it seemed to be made of a metal based polymer which rendered it extraordinarily hard. The curve of the top would reach to just cover her eyebrows whilst an elongated pyramid made enough room for the protection of her nose. Below the eyeholes the metal mask extended into two fang-like protrusions which would hide part of her lower face. Understanding what Pabbie meant, she wordlessly slipped it into her suit pocket.

"No one's ever seen who I really am." Elsa stated; marching down the exit corridor to the growing night on the surface.

* * *

><p>Thankfully, Olaf had indeed been able to take down the security on the front entrance of the Westerguard building; allowing Elsa to quietly slip into the empty lobby of the rival company. A spiteful part of her mind registered that the Noble Tower was far more modern than the Westerguard's equivalent; which used a more grand décor to the point it looked like a hunting lodge. Despite the soft brown wood furnishings and the exquisite examples of antique waiting sofas, it was still a lobby. It did not take long for her to find the west stairwell which would deposit her on the correct side of the roof.<p>

As she ascended each step, Elsa had time to finalise her mental checklist. Stretching between the floors, she became accustomed to the tug of the skin-tight suit underneath her clothes. Her primary objective was to get into the building and get Anna _out_, unharmed. To achieve that she would have to take down however many kidnappers there were guarding her sister. She supposed that Jones, who must have been leading the group again, was partially expecting her. There was really no reason for a team that large to keep one girl hostage. The most logical way to do this, therefore, was to keep them all apart and take them out one by one, starting with the largest.

It took her too long to reach the top floor, although she dare not risk being caught on camera in the elevator. Besides, she wanted Olaf's presence in the computer system to be kept to a minimum in this building. He was limited strictly to unlocking the doors.

By the time she reached the metal exit to the roof it was nearing nine o'clock. Getting to the top of a seventy floor building had cost her an hour of the time she had. She honestly didn't know how seriously Jones had been when he said he would throw Anna out of a window, but the thought made her stomach drop into an endless dark abyss so wasted no more time.

Once on the small mezzanine below the roof door, Elsa quickly pulled off the expensive fashion labels which masked the questionably acquired suit below. Folding the clothes, she left them in the corner of the stairwell; making sure to retrieve the earpiece and the mask.

"Olaf, can you hear me?" She asked once the communicative device was fixed onto the outer shell of her left ear. The mask sat surprisingly comfortably against her face, with only a few points pressing against her low forehead.

"_Loud and clear!_" The man responded, much like he was talking from directly beside her. "_Do you need the roof?"_

Before she could answer the electronic lock _clicked_ and the metal slab swung outwards, allowing Elsa to come face-to-face with a reflection of herself. One of the ventilation motors beside the door was bizarrely shiny, having been mostly shielded from the elements. It was so reflective that Elsa wondered whether Hans Westerguard employed someone to clean the heavy steel units, but it gave her a vision of her current image regardless.

The woman who mirrored Elsa was completely clad in a pale blue, skin tight bodysuit which refracted light from the tiny squares of fabric in what little light shone down from the Noble Tower next door. It had a high mandarin collar, providing maximum protection of the neck while it moved in such a way that it did not hinder her range of vision when she turned her head. Similarly, all the important points of articulation could twist into any natural position as if it wasn't actually there. Her sleeves reached completely down her arms; culminating in a tapered point on the back of her palm, which managed to remain in contact with her skin no matter which direction she turned her wrists. The boots, the only completely removable articles, were a matching colour although the metallic squares were replaced by a single sheet of thicker dark blue which wrapped around her shins and over the tops of her feet, whilst the soles were an ergonomic design which provided an air cushion capable of moulding to her foot shape but did not deny her any sensation from the ground she stood on. All the hems of the collar, sleeves and boots were a uniform white, with an additional stripe forming a shallow V-shape at waist height to function as a slim belt. If she was truly critical, it was slightly revealing.

When it came to the face, Elsa found herself unable to read her own expression as her eyebrows were completely covered by the upper edges of the mask. To the same effect, the points underneath her eyes fell down to be in line with the corners of her mouth; making her all but unrecognisable.

The only feature which remained remotely like the reserved, reluctant Elsa Noble was the bun her hair was customarily tied into. Reaching slowly for the clip which held her thick mane in place, she undid it enough to allow a heavy braid to fall away from the stylish do. Her stance relaxed when the reflected figure looked nothing like the CEO of a billion dollar company.

Yesterday, she had felt liberated for the first time in her life. Today she felt free.

Resuming her mission, Elsa looked over the gap between the two buildings. At this height the wind raced past her. On the ground below she could see the police officers and swat forces assembled. She wondered if they were holding their position or preparing to break in. Perhaps they were still negotiating with the kidnappers, maybe even trying to contact her. After hearing their demands she had turned her phone off to keep her focus on her self-appointed task as much as possible.

"_Elsa? Are you ready?"_ Olaf asked through the earpiece. "_Because I've got one of these guys in your office right now."_

Elsa looked down once more, thought of Anna, then lifted her ungloved hands over the chasm with all the strength she could muster. Ice began to grow on the ledge of the building; extending over the void to meet the other end which crawled back from the corner of her window on the Noble Tower.

"Let's surprise him, then." She said, ready for action.

* * *

><p>That particular criminal, who was just making his way through the smoky glass door which bore the name <em>E. Noble, CEO<em>, was blissfully unaware of the carefully controlled frozen fury which was heading his way. Instead, he was focussed on the riches he expected to gain from the night's endeavour. With the share he would receive he need not work another day in his life, but retire to sunny Costa Rica where the hunt for him would not be as severe. Even if the pale witch who ran the company refused to hand over the requested sum the group still had enough time to reach their secondary objective.

Entering the sleek, barely decorated office, he took a moment to admire the view over the city from the panoramic window. Thinking of how a woman who had worked perhaps only one day in her life gained this faux-godly perspective over the tiny lives of the poor in the Mountains angered him greatly. Those people suffered every day, whilst people like her and that socialite brat downstairs had everything handed to them on a silver plate. How did they deserve wealth beyond his wildest dreams whilst many struggled? He couldn't wait to experience their world.

But first, he had one small task to do to ensure their money doubled from their benefactor.

"_Reg_," George Jones's militaristic tone squawked from the speaker in his cloth mask. "_Have you got the plans yet?"_

"Give me a second," Reg answered, looking to the emerging moon before turning to the computer on that ever so stylish desk of that 'Noble' woman. "I'm trying to savour this moment."

Savouring the moment, as it would later turn out, was a major mistake on his part. He was so busy internally gloating over the situation that he failed to notice the frost beginning to cling to the outline of the window.

The instructions he had been given were pretty simple. All the benefactor required of him was to turn Noble's computer on, plug in a specially prepared pen-drive and simply wait for the flickering red light to turn green on its casing. Nothing too difficult.

Once he had done so, Reg sat back in the CEO's plush chair. Passing the time with his inner thoughts, he decided he would have to buy a chair just like this once the gains of the evening were shared out. Perhaps, he mused, he would even be able to buy this one when the company inevitably went under. The money was practically in his pocket by this point.

"How's the prisoner?" Reg asked into his coat cuff when he had played out the imaginary satisfaction of ruining a business. He shivered as he spoke, wondering if the temperature this high up in the tower was meant to be this low.

"_Too talkative," _Jones replied, sounding disgruntled. "_Keeps saying we're messing with the wrong girl._"

A feminine voice murmured in the background, followed by what sounded like a quick slap. Reg didn't like the action, but was willing to compromise his morals for several million dollars.

"You should find the duct tape, keep her quiet," Reg suggested, swinging a little in the big chair as his teeth began chattering. "Hey, is it cold where you are?"

"_Are you high, Reg? It's freaking June_." Jones insulted, some audible laughter behind him.

Reg was about to reply, but when he exhaled he was mystified to find a pale cloud drift out his mouth. _That_ had definitely not been happening when he entered the office. Come to think of it, the temperature hadn't been this far down the Fahrenheit scale just five minutes ago. Had someone left a window open?

Now shaking from the core of his ribs, Reg glanced up for the first time since his arrival. Then he did a double take and his jaw dropped at the scene. The long window, which curved around to match the outside of the building in a crystal clear, barely visible sheet of glass was now coated entirely with brilliant white ice. It reached from top to bottom, right around all one-hundred-and-twenty degrees of cityscape panorama. An outside spotlight swept over the scene from the far end of the room to the wall behind the desk, projecting all the lines and blemishes within the ice onto the floor. However, what caught his attention most as the light passed him was the shadowy outline of a person standing just _outside_ the window.

The shock of seeing a person so close made Reg leap upwards from the chair. He yelped a moment later when, as if sensing his realisation, the figure smashed the window inwards. Although, his panic momentarily stopped when he saw that the person who froze the glass and broke their way in was a woman in a sparkling blue bodysuit. In fact he almost laughed, disbelieving she had been the cause of this phenomenon at all.

Then the woman lunged forward: proceeding to punch him in the jaw, grab his shoulders and ram a knee into his lower chest. Though the rapid succession of blows didn't quite stun him, it injured him enough to urge him to pull his gun from within his coat. But before he could aim and fire, the woman in blue stepped quickly to the side, laying a hand on the barrel of the weapon without pulling it from his grip. However Reg couldn't help but drop it when an inch of ice encased the grey metal.

She swiped at his face a second time, this right hook glancing him in the temple; making him stagger. The kidnapper clumsily attempted to hit her back, then missed completely when she ducked down. Kicking forwards, the masked woman's shoulder connected with the hinge of his waist and flipped him over her back like a sack of potatoes.

Reg crashed to the floor; dazed, confused and throbbing in areas as the wind washed over his hastily forming bruises. A white soled boot was balanced gently over his throat, ready to stamp down at a moment's notice.

"Where is Anna Noble?!" The victorious woman shouted, voice artificially deep but livid nonetheless.

He squirmed under her foot, trying to claw her other ankle. Unfortunately for him the heavy fabric proved resistant to his weak finger. She pressed down slightly harder, constricting his airway.

"Where is she?!" The mask scowled, releasing the pressure after a number of seconds had passed.

"In the first floor conference room!" Reg sobbed, feeling humiliated and rightly emasculated by the swift defeat.

"How many of you are there?!" Her disguised tones echoed with each bellowed word, deafening him into silence. "How many!"

"Twelve! Twelve of us!" He cried, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. "Oh God, please don't hurt me!"

His captor paused for a moment, lifted her boot off his neck and knelt down beside him.

"Has she been hurt?" She menacingly whispered. "Has that girl been harmed in any way?"

Reluctantly, he nodded as he recalled the slap Jones had dealt her.

Angered more by this admission, the blue woman grabbed his face. She forcefully lifted his head off the ground the slammed it back into the floor; rendering him unconscious.

* * *

><p>"Olaf," Elsa said to the air. "Can you get a visual on the conference room?"<p>

From her earpiece she could hear the man's scrabbling fingers drag across the keyboard. It was ten past nine.

"_Yeah!" _Was the token pleased response. "_She's at the far end with two of those guys guarding her. I think she's been handcuffed, and, from the looks of it, telling them off!"_

Elsa couldn't help but smile at the image. Anna had never been one to keep her opinion to herself or give up. She had personally had ten years of experience with the younger woman's methods. It seemed unlikely they would be given up now.

"Where are the nearest goons?" She asked, marching away from the recently installed open air of the office. Her first adversary probably wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.

"_Three floors under you, patrolling a corridor. Only the two of them!" _It appeared Olaf enjoyed watching her displays of the pinnacle physical, if not entirely natural, human condition. Even more so when it came to not very nice people.

Acting without fully registering, Elsa located the nearest emergency stairwell to continue her tactic of surprise. One down, eleven to go. Including Jones. She was absolutely adamant that scowling, moustachioed psychopath would not be bailed out again. He was going to rot in a cell for even _thinking_ of harming Anna. Whatever was left of him after she'd had her say, anyway.

The journey down was over far too quickly to plot out a proper offensive, so Elsa wandered the long halls to buy herself a couple more moments. It was, of course, difficult to know exactly where they were without calling on Olaf to shed some light on the situation.

"_They're just coming around the next corner." _Olaf revealed just as she was about to ask.

Being only a few metres from said corner, she instinctively dropped to the floor to spread a damp layer of ice across the thin carpets. As intended, when the black-coated brutes turned the corner they lost their footing; crashing to the floor with yells of surprise and pain.

Wasting no time; Elsa leapt on the nearest kidnapper. Using her momentum she pulled on the lapels of his jacket so that as she rolled into a landing on the frozen ground he was flung into the thin plaster before slumping down next to her. Groaning from the attack, the man didn't put up any particular fight as Elsa elbowed him in the lower stomach and then snapped her fist upwards to strike him in the nose. Using the other arm she was lying on to flip herself over, she smacked down into his skull with a direct punch to where his jaw would roughly be. She heard something _snap_ from the impact, which she hoped hadn't been a bone in her hand but a part of her adversary's face.

Whilst this series of strikes took place on the icy carpet, the second black-coat scrambled to his feet unsteadily. He limped a few steps away on a most likely sprained ankle to gasp into his sleeve.

"Jones!" He breathlessly yelled into the concealed microphone. "It's that ice-woman! She's in the building!"

Hearing the warning, Elsa twisted herself back onto her feet. Knowing her advantage had now been lost, with possibly dire consequences for Anna, she let out a cry of anger as she pounced on the wounded enemy.

Weaving her arms under his shoulders, she pulled him into a full-nelson hold. With her grip on his balaclava secure and most of his weight on his good leg; Elsa was able to force his forehead against the wall one, two, three times before she let go. For good measure she punched his ribs in a way she knew would crack at least two. It was unlikely he would be alerting the others for a while.

"_Elsa!" _Olaf called, this time drawling her name in concern. "_There're more of them coming your way!"_

"How many?" She grumbled, rubbing the sore part of her upper arm she had landed on.

There was a brief interval as Olaf attempted to definitively count up the black blurs on his monochrome screens.

"_Six, I think!" _He reported, worry slipping into his voice. "_Three of them are coming up the east staircase five floors down. The others are six floors below them."_

Elsa swore under her breath. During all those years she had been taught various martial arts, she had never faced any more than two opponents at once. This had been due mostly to her insistence on being kept isolated from people she may harm, but Shang had managed to persuade her into sparring with another of his students; Ping. For the record she had won, but at the cost of nearly revealing her powers. Although, back then she hadn't allowed herself to utilise the cursed abilities. Tonight they were her only advantage left. Apart from a bullet proof suit, but the reflective nature of the garment could yet be a hindrance when it came to evasion.

"Alright," Elsa finally said, thinking about her main objective of rescuing her sister. "Let's do it."

* * *

><p>Knowing the remaining nine criminals would now be looking out for her; Elsa kept to the edges of the corridors as she made her way to intercept the three oncoming brutes. As far as she knew, they would be largely clueless to her location and so were more likely to spread out to track her down. If she could keep them far enough apart she would stand a greater chance of incapacitating them. Then again, having been alerted to her skills they may equally keep to a close group to avoid a swift beating.<p>

Edging along the blank, grey walls, Elsa eventually met the doors to the stairs without encountering any of the expected foes. Taking this as a bad sign for her hopes; she pushed open the door into the quiet column that ran up the centre of the eastern wing of the building.

In contrast to the carpeted lengths of corridor she had just exited, the stairs were a universally cold concrete under a steady electric light which lit Elsa's suit like a high vision jacket. Thankfully her boots reduced the echo of her footfalls as she rapidly descended but there was no hiding her reflective nightmare of protective armour. Anyone might notice her under these steady beams from an extended distance.

Reaching the end of her second flight, a deafening _bang _suddenly broke the stifling silence. This sound was accompanied by a dull pain in her lower leg when a bullet collided with her shin. The appendage went numb, causing Elsa to stumble slightly and grab the bannister for support. A quick inspection revealed no damage, not even a smudge mark on the metallic squares although the ache proved she was struck. Pabbie had been right; the suit would only absorb so much of the impact.

Looking down, Elsa spotted the source of the gunshot; one black coat, the one who had fired at her, stayed in position two floors below whilst the remaining pair sprinted up the space between them. He lined her up in the sights of his handgun, looking back at her with inexpressive eyes barely visible under the balaclava. His second shot glanced off the metal railings beside her face.

Regaining her wits, she quickly froze the open spaces between the bars protecting her. Three more shots cracked into the ice, but none of them shattered the structure.

This gave her the opportunity to gather her thoughts into a conceivable strategy. Olaf's squeak of anticipation reminded her that more gunmen were on the way up. Therefore, she needed to get out of the line of fire and limit her foes' ability to surround her. If she remembered the layout of the Noble Tower correctly, this floor was dedicated to the higher end research headed by Pabbie. The kind of research which required complete containment and the opportunity to destroy any lethal experiments.

A third set of marching footsteps echoed with the other two, which were nearing her position. Most likely, the shooter had deserted his post to join his companions. Taking a chance, Elsa stood from her hiding spot to fling a chilling cloud onto the stairs in front of the man who had attempted to injure her. His foot fell on the icy patch. Then his boot slid backwards as he lifted his other leg. Unsurprisingly, he fell forwards straight onto his face. A sickening _crack _was audible from Elsa's position and for a moment she felt regretful for the damage she had dealt him. But for what he was trying to do to her remaining family; she didn't care anymore.

As this one fell, the remaining two black-coats of this group appeared at the base of the nearest set of stairs. Having witnessed her supernatural takedown of their fellow conspirator, they drew their weapons. Firing repeatedly; Elsa had no chance to find protection but had to stumble out of the line of fire.

Diving out of the stairwell, Elsa fell into a maze of glass-walled laboratories. Thankfully her suit continued to protect her from bullets which smacked against her upper body, however the first shot was certain to leave a large bruise on her outer shin. Unfortunately, her pursuers continued to follow her with their guns blazing.

She had to scramble along the floor under the cover of a hastily formed fog to avoid more harmful blasts. On no less than four occasions the tiled floors kicked up dust threateningly close to her head. Five times a bullet collided with her shoulders, once in her stomach and thrice a pellet caught her hip. By the time the black-coats guns _clicked _pathetically, signifying their barrels were empty and their onslaughts were over the moment.

Despite being shaken and hurting across her body, Elsa took her chance to contort her body under the fog to fling a few sleek icicles at their legs. Neither of them saw the sharp projectiles coming; one was caught in ankle as he attempted to reload while the other was knocked off-balance momentarily by his tumbling comrade. He, however, quickly regained his footing to wield his handgun dangerously in her general direction. This was her cue to hit him back.

As she rolled to the tinted dark glass the elevators _dinged_ from a nearby location. Evidently her task was about to become much more difficult, so Elsa sprang towards the one currently trying to find his aim and roundhouse kicked the gun of his hand then reverse-punched him just above his right eye. Since it was statistically likely he was right handed, she grabbed the forearm and kicked his foot out from underneath him whilst he was still stunned.

More gunshots ricocheted from further down the maze, making opaque webs appear in the reinforced glass marking out the individual labs. Elsa ducked behind the man she was holding, twisting his arm painfully behind him so that he couldn't move away from her. As planned, when the next three black-coats turned the corner they fired on their own teammate. Shots pierced each of his shoulders and clipped the edge of his stomach before they realised their mistakes.

When they lowered their weapons, Elsa let go of her human shield (whom she actually hoped had not been harmed too much) and fired two streams of ice at the closest opponent. Before he could get away or fire at her again he found his feet and gun arm had been frozen into place. The two men behind him could not get around him in the confines of the corridor.

Taking a running start, she vaulted onto the first man's shoulders and kicked off the wall. Extending a leg as her trajectory swung around the anchored black-coat, Elsa was able to connect her foot with his back-up's temple; making him crumble to the floor from the sheer force. However, the last of the six men managed to catch her leg and throw her down to the ground. It seemed he had at least basic training in some form of martial arts.

He extended his pistol to be on a level aim with her forehead, but she was able to cut his hand with a messily formed pile of ice chips which forced him to release his hold. Elsa then grabbed his wrist and pulled herself up, dragging him down in transit. Unfortunately, the black-coat was able to push her back into the anchored man, who reached with his free hand to hold her forearm in a vice grip. She swept her free arm underneath his; bending his elbow back to a sickening angle which made him release her when he cried at his broken bone.

Turning back, Elsa was met with a fist to the face as the last black-coat had regained his feet. The rim of the mask cut into her forehead, spilling some of her blood as a stinging line was sliced just above her eyebrows. Although, it seemed the metal hurt the black-coat more as two of his knuckles were now misshapen. Regardless to this fact he did not stop his assault, though he favoured his left hand and stayed away from her head.

Elsa took advantage of this fact and kept to his right side, where she delivered a quick succession of punches to his ribcage. His attempts to stumble around to face her remained unsuccessful, but when he lunged with an almost magically retrieved taser towards her he managed to shock her underarm. She screamed as her muscles contracted for an agonizing few moments, giving her opponent the chance to shove her against the glass walls.

Unwilling to go near him again for the time being and unable to lift one arm for random muscle spasms, Elsa felt along the wall for the nearest doorway. The black-coat continued to lunge at her with the _crackling_ weapon, though mercifully was unable to pin her down again.

When she felt the air-sealed door; Elsa shouldered her way through into a small entrance cubicle equipped with a series of unnerving black pipes ready to deposit deadly heat into the space. Her arm began to feel lighter as she shuffled along the tiles, dispelling the residual charge from her body even though the pain still clung to her nerves. She forced herself through the second entrance to the main lab, waiting for her adversary to step into the cubicle after her. When he finally did, she punched the emergency alarm just beyond the glass panel.

Flames erupted into life, with the system thinking there was a harmful substance inside the cubicle that required complete annihilation but instead only spread the burning tongues onto the black-coats sleeve. He immediately began trying to pat the fire down to nothing, yelling in fear as he barged past Elsa into the lab. His shrieks were laughably high-pitched, but all she focussed on was the taser he had dropped beside her.

Picking it up, Elsa strode into his path and grabbed his flaming wrist. The fire immediately died under the extreme cold she placed on the dark coat. He sighed in relief, but gave a staggered screech when she forced the taser into his stomach; rendering him unconscious, finally.

Elsa shakily relaxed once she accounted for every fallen man in the immediate area. She felt more battered than she had ever done in her life, although nothing was broken as far as she could tell. There were almost certainly going to be quite heavy bruises forming across her body in the next few hours. Explaining the cut on her forehead was going to be interesting come work tomorrow, but then she supposed that the building would be closed for investigations over the next few days.

"That's nine," She sighed, stretching her tight arm as she walked back into the stairwell. "Where are the last three?"

"_Well_," Olaf reluctantly answered. "_While you took all those guys out Jones' moved Anna."_

"Where to?" Elsa demanded, ears pricking.

"_Your office._"

Her office. Her office, at least four floors above her. Her office, where there was currently no window. Jones' threat to drop Anna from a height was suddenly all the more real. Worse; the remaining kidnappers had a potential exit across the bridge she had formed to get _into_ the building. Those bastards could kill her sister and still get away.

"I am going to murder them." Elsa stated, frost creeping along the bannisters while she began marching up the stairs on sore legs.

* * *

><p>Hands stuck behind her back, Anna was pushed into Elsa's office to face the cold wind of this altitude. Behind her, George Jones, whom she recognised by voice now, held the heavy gun pointed at her spine; ready to shoot her down at a moment's notice.<p>

"It is not nice to push people!" She angrily yelled, turning back on her captor.

"Shut it, ginge!" Jones bellowed back at her in his army voice. "You've caused us more than enough trouble without your constant whining!"

"Excuse me?" Anna asked back, undeterred by her situation. "_I've _caused _you _trouble? In my handcuffs?"

She caught sight of the knocked out black-coat on the floor, who had a nasty footprint marked into his neck and a few specks of blood seeping through the balaclava. Shards of glass littered the entire floor, interspersed with little pools of water which Anna did not want to slip on. There had obviously been a struggle in this room recently that had not favoured a member of Jones' crew.

"That freaking ice-woman's showed up again to save your hide," Jones grumbled, trudging to the askew desk and pulling out a pen drive from Elsa's desktop. "And I am not going to lose all that money again."

"But you can't get away, not now," Anna reasoned, trying to take subtle steps away from her captor. "They'll know who you are. Even if you kill me, it won't take them long to figure it out. You tried this _yesterday_. And my sister won't let you get away with this. She'll hunt you down."

Jones let out a barking, mocking laugh when she said this. He watched her with those unfeeling eyes like a shark pursuing its prey.

"You think your sister cares about you?" He hurtfully questioned. "This is the same sister who saved her own skin yesterday rather than come back for you? The one who hid in some European slum for four years? This 'Ella Noble' who wouldn't come back for her own parent's funeral!"

"No!" Anna hollered back. "The sister who cares about me. She's not perfect, but I know she wouldn't let any harm come to me because, if I had to, I would protect her with everything I have. And it's _Elsa_."

It looked like Jones was about to retort when a banging came from just beyond the office door. Before they had forced their way in, the other two black-coats had been left to guard the room in case this mysterious hero came for them. Now, the frostbitten smoked glass smashed when one kidnapper was flung through it. He fell with a groan, one shoulder obviously dislocated. When Anna peaked through the entrance she saw that his co-conspirator was slumped against the doorframe of the boardroom, encased in ice.

However, what captured both hers and Jones' attention was the woman dressed in blue standing with the light blaring behind her. The silhouette spread across Anna, seemingly shielding her from Jones' spiteful glare. From where she was standing, the Noble girl couldn't make out any details of her apparent saviour; excluding the shiny refraction from the suit she wore and the thick braid which fell over her shoulder. Nevertheless, there was something familiar about the figure, although Anna put it down to the fact the same person had rescued her the day before.

Taking stock of the situation, the figure flung a row of angled icicles to the floor; fencing Jones into the small area around the desk before turning to Anna.

"Get out of here," The deep voice commanded, pointing towards the ice bridge extending from the corner of the broken window and onto the neighbouring Westerguard roof. "Now."

Anna didn't need to be told twice, but as she carefully sprinted across the littered floor she spared her heroine a grateful glance.

The bridge was slippery and not terribly wide, but she took it slowly enough to keep her balance. Behind her she could hear Jones swear heavily into the night and she could feel the protective eyes of the woman in blue. However, she didn't dare look back, lest she also glance down the seventy-one storeys to the ground.

Back in the office, Elsa approached the icicle fence which held Jones in a confined space. The despised man stared daggers into her battered form, but he looked satisfied despite his loses. She couldn't understand this. He had lost. He was going to prison, in all likelihood. There was no way the Mayor could protect him this time.

"I was told you might show up." Jones said once his anger had subsided.

Elsa didn't let her curiosity get the better of her. Anna was out of the building, she had done what she wanted to achieve. There was no reason for this to continue.

"Well, I'm glad I did," Elsa replied in her masked voice. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Anna reach the Westerguard building. "Olaf, make sure she gets in and then unlock the Noble Tower."

"_Hell yes!" _Olaf obeyed from the Research Facility.

She made to follow Anna when Jones _clicked _the safety off his gun. The defeated man aimed the weapon at her head, steely determination etched on his face. His discarded balaclava lay amongst the shards of glass. At a moment's notice he might kill her. But Elsa didn't blink.

"I'll do it." He threatened, jabbing the air with the barrel.

"You said the same thing yesterday," She pointed out. "I seem to recall you didn't actually hit anyone."

This only made him fume all the more, face burning red under his muttonchops.

"You tried to hurt someone very dear to me," Elsa lowly continued, taking a few steps towards the ice bridge. The glass _crunched_ under her boots. "I could kill you, right now, just as easily as you'd shoot me. But I'm not going to. You don't quite deserve that."

His finger twitched menacingly, about to fire the bullet. As he did, however, a low icicle grew several feet taller; skewering his gun hand and causing him to yowl in pain as blood spurted from his fingers. The frozen barricade parted as Elsa stepped through them, inspecting her handiwork with a sickened fascination. Years, even mere hours, ago she would have never willingly done anything close to that destructive. Today, her powers had proven useful. And she was confused by how she felt about the evening.

"Don't you ever go near the Nobles again!" Elsa cried, willing the icicle to drive itself through Jones' hand slightly more.

He openly wept as she calmly walked out of the building.

* * *

><p>On the plaza outside the Noble Tower, Anna sat in the back of an ambulance. The handcuffs had been chiselled off and she was wrapped in a comforting, orange blanket with an icepack held against her black-and-blue eye. Police officers and medics hurried around her; racing into the office tower in waves to assess the remarkable situation. From what she had been fleetingly told, it sounded like the vigilante had methodically taken down every black coated loon who had tried to hold her for one billion dollars, a fact which drove the assembled community forces wild with the apparent injustice of the events. But it was past ten now and if the woman hadn't done what she did, Anna would have been a discoloured puddle on this very plaza. She shivered at the thought.<p>

Once she'd been checked over, Anna had been more or less left to herself. A vain part of the mind was arguing more attention should have been given to her than a blanket and pat on the back, but she understood that she was no longer a priority. Until Elsa appeared from amongst the crowd.

"Oh my God! Anna! Are you okay?" Elsa fearfully asked, looking at her sister's wound and cupping her cheeks affectionately.

Before Anna could respond, she was pulled into the tightest hug she had ever received. After the regularly expected period of embrace had elapsed, she registered the fact it was _Elsa _holding onto her as if for dear life. Elsa, who had spent her teenage years hiding from everyone and had never willingly initiated contact with anyone, as far as she knew. It took her a few moments, but Anna eventually returned the hug with the largest of smiles plastered across her face. Even though she had to go through hell to be at this point, she had her sister.

"I'm fine! Don't worry, I just got a whack, it's nothing," Anna answered, wincing when the warm air hit her bruise. "What happened to you?"

When she observed Elsa's clothes, they were surprisingly more askew than the typically presentable standard her sister maintained. Her blouse was largely crumpled, with deep wrinkles in the fabric which were barely hidden by her dust covered suit jacket and trousers which had probably seen better days. The shoes contrasted greatly with the grey business attire; as they were blue and made of a material she'd never seen before. Although, Anna's comment was mostly directed to the long, scabbed over cut running across the left side of Elsa's brow. It was partially hidden by the customary bangs of Elsa's trademark hairstyle, but it was marked out like crayon on a blank canvas.

"What? Oh," Elsa said, feeling the wound when they finally parted. "I-I was terrified I'd lose you. I think I had one of the worst panic attacks of my life."

Anna nodded, not wanting to pry into Elsa's privacy. They smiled at each other, both aware of the tumultuous nature of their relationship. Maybe, one day, they would be normal sisters again; away from the world of business and threats to their little family, and recover everything they had lost growing up.

"Are you being kept for anything, or do you think we could go somewhere else?" Elsa tentatively asked, eyeing the surrounding medics nervously.

"Erm, I don't think so," Anna answered, slowly removing the blanket and leaving it on the ambulance step. "If you don't mind, I really want to go home and have a drink."

"Yes, that's fine," Elsa quickly assured, straightening her gloves. "Er, the mansion or your apartment?"

"I really don't mind, just somewhere that's not here." Her sister answered, taking her hand to lead her away from the scene.

As they were weaving back through the throngs of officials, Elsa was careful not to make eye contact with any of the police for fear they may arrest her. None of them could know it was her in the tower, although without the mask her fears of discovery slowly set in again. But no one seemed to notice them depart the site, apart from a very divisive individual who beckoned for them to follow him when they reached the barriers.

"Good Lord. Anna, are you alright?" Hans Westerguard asked as he led the Noble women down a side street to a waiting car. "The police wouldn't answer anything, since I wasn't a family member."

"I'm fine," Anna insisted, relaxing into the leather seats between her friend and her sister. "Can you take us home?"

"Of course, of course," He responded, giving Elsa a kind smile. "Jerry, you know the way."

Despite her satisfaction for rescuing Anna, Elsa couldn't help but feel disappointed that after all her efforts the side-burned snake had still wormed his way into her life again. After all, what had he done for Anna in the wake of her kidnapping?

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading, please review.<strong>


	7. Chapter 6

**Here we are: post-heroic debut. Hope it reads well, I haven't spent as long on this chapter due to mocks. Apologies in advance for any grammatical errors, but I wanted to reach my aim of a weekend update before the dreaded Monday comes around. **

**Also, I don't suppose any of my wonderful readers happen to be of the arty variety? I can't draw for diddly squat, so I was hoping some kind person might design a cover for this story? Obviously I can't pay anyone for their efforts (since Fanfiction doesn't allow monetary exchanges and I'm a student) but their work will be proudly displayed beside this story for all future updates. If you're interested please PM me.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy this shortish instalment and many thanks to all who have reviewed and followed!**

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><p>The midday sun was indescribably different as Elsa walked through the Mountains. It had been summer in Arendelle for a few weeks now, and the weather on the three days she had been back were visibly the same as today. Nevertheless, there was still a small change. Something so tiny it was hardly noticeable. Naming said change was even more difficult.<p>

Somehow, it felt like the very air around Elsa was new. Fresh. Clean. Of course, the depressed streets were still grey and dirty and neglected, but with every fibre of her being Elsa sensed what could only be really described as potential. There was a new potential in the City; one which no one saw or was even really aware of. Only the haphazardly dressed millionaire who crossed the potholed excuse for a road could taste it.

Potential, or the quick breakfast Anna had made her using the surprisingly small supplies her sister kept in the apartment. While the younger woman had the best of intentions, Elsa wasn't particularly certain left-over Thai food met all the required food groups in an adult breakfast. Additionally, the orange juice had felt slightly more acidic than it should have done. Evidently at age nineteen Anna Noble had not entirely grasped self-support or balanced diets, although Elsa couldn't blame her. A lavish breakfast was not something a threatened woman would regard as a priority.

When they had finally reached Anna's apartment, after a rather hasty farewell to a certain business rival, fatigue had triumphed them quite quickly. Indeed, if it hadn't been for a her elder sister's presence Anna would have simply fallen asleep in the small ball she had rolled herself into on the sofa. But Elsa made sure to take care of her; supplying the barely adult girl with a coffee to keep her awake long enough for a proper nightly routine. Despite her intrigue, Elsa had not pried too far into how Anna felt about the evening. However, her sister's appreciation of her presence was not misread.

Once fully distressed, Anna wasted no time in offering Elsa the spare room for the night. It was barely a secret that the redhead had been shaken by the daily abductions and was subsequently, though not vocally, afraid of being left alone overnight. There had only been a slight hesitation on Elsa's part, but she eventually rang Gerda and gave the household staff the night off since no service would be required in the empty manor.

Of course, when she got the chance Elsa had sprinted into the bathroom to peel off the blue bodysuit underneath her clothes. Upon inspection the garment had served its purpose well; there were no cuts on her torso nor were there bullet holes. Although, her fears of bruises was confirmed under the warm light of the spacious washroom. Reflected in the mirror were a plethora of dark purple patches on otherwise flawless skin. They started in a few coin-sized spots across her collarbones before revealing a quite angry smudge across her left upper arm, where she had landed heavily a few times during her fight. The marks lessened in severity under her breasts and down her stomach, having received glancing hits from varying distances, but the field of navy blue under her right knee shone brightly. This particular trophy was still sore to walk on, but hadn't swelled as much as it could have. Long ago Elsa had realised the cold in her bloodstream acted as a natural ice-pack and so injuries had never been very nasty for her.

Regardless of this biological idiosyncrasy, once out of the public eye and into the long corridors of the former North Mount Station Elsa moved much of her weight off the throbbing muscles. She hadn't really wanted to walk here but it seemed pointless to call Kai in for the sake of a few blocks. Besides, the driver had already ferried her to this location once in the last twenty-four hours. If he made frequent trips to the kicked-down boards of the entrance he may start to question her activities.

When she finally reached the control room of the facility she was barely surprised to find Pabbie already sat at one of the desks. It did catch her unawares that Olaf was also seated in the same chair as last night, working furiously at the computer.

"Did you even go home last night?" Elsa curiously asked, leaning against the nearest work bench and laying out the plastic bag. The blue suit sparkled slightly from the opening.

Pabbie merely watched her, gave a tired yawn, then picked up a newspaper which had been sat beside him. He held up the front cover, which read in bold letter _Kidnappers Kicked Down By Frosty Foe_. Underneath this was an amateur photograph of the ice bridge Elsa had built between the Westerguard and Noble Towers, which was defrosting slowly in the June sun. Evidently the bystanders had eventually noticed her improvised path the night before.

"Congratulations," The old man said, sounding rather conflicted. "You put four men in hospital."

Elsa hadn't been expecting that news. She knew she had hurt all twelve of her adversaries, with the icicle through Jones' hand standing out in her memory, but _four _men? Regret and shame began to claw at her a she digested the report.

"What were their injuries?" Was her tentative inquiry, feeling paradoxically sheepish over her rescue attempt.

"One skewered palm," Pabbie read from the continued article a few pages into the paper. "A fractured skull, frostbitten legs and, although I dare not think how, third-degree burns to a man's forearm."

"Oh! I know how Elsa did that!" Olaf piped up, swivelling away from the hazy monitor. "It was really very cool!"

"No! Olaf, it wasn't," Elsa loudly disagreed, making both men jump. "Last night was everything I never wanted to do. If my parents knew what I did… Oh God."

The woman nearly collapsed from the onslaught of antonymic feelings. On the one hand, she had saved Anna. That had been her primary objective the entire night. But she had actually used her powers to _wound _ people. At the time it had hardly bothered her, she was too focussed on not being shot and stopping the black coats. Now that she knew the costs she didn't think she could live with the contravention of her morals.

When she stumbled, Olaf was immediately by her side while Pabbie pulled himself to his feet. The next few moments were spent encouraging Elsa to breathe fully, rather than the panicked hyperventilation she was about to fall into. It was Olaf who eventually got her completely calm by giving her the only thing he knew worked; a warm hug.

"Elsa, I didn't mean it harshly," Pabbie apologised, taking her hand very carefully as she composed herself. "What you did last night would have made your parents extraordinarily proud. You put yourself at risk and the injuries those bastards sustained are only a fraction of what I would have dealt them. Yes, you have never wished for your powers, but you used them expertly enough to save Anna; which I believe is what you wanted."

Elsa remained silent for a few moments, wondering what the next steps were. Thankfully Olaf supplied further information to set her mind at rest.

"I've deleted any and all footage of you from last night across the city. Nothing exists of superhero you." He assured, motioning as the old monitor which showed rows upon rows of code.

"I'm not a superhero," Elsa defensively stated, reaching for her blue disguise and throwing it down the corridor. "This was a one-time thing. I'm not an 'Archer' or a 'Rider'."

Pabbie stepped back from her, pacing the slowly thawing floor while deep in thought. He looked between Elsa and the domino mask which had clattered onto the ground when thrown.

"No, you're not Flynn Rider. As far as I know he gets by on good luck," Pabbie agreed, slowly bending down to retrieve the blood-marked mask. "And the Archer, well her name represents her skill. But you _have a gift_, Elsa. It's beautiful and it's dangerous. It is completely up to you what you do with it, although as much as I don't want to I have to urge you on my opinion."

He paused, looking extremely thoughtful. His eyes spoke of one scenario but his scowl described another idea. The way he looked at the abandoned Research Facility only made Elsa wonder what he _truly_ intended.

"You saw how the police have very little motive to protect or serve. They were unwilling to go in after Anna until she had actually appeared at the ambulance. Many of the criminals they arrest, whether petty or major infractions, are released due to lacking evidence or Weselton protects them," The extent of Arendelle Police's limited efforts shocked Elsa when Pabbie described them. It couldn't actually be _that_ ineffective. "So a part of me thinks you should… continue stopping crime. The way you immobilised Jones meant the Mayor couldn't deny his presence, and if you did more of that you might do a world of good for the city."

Elsa considered the idea for a few moments. Eventually, she disregarded it as a logistical nightmare. She was the _CEO _of a company. She couldn't disappear for regular crime fighting. There was research to administrate and quarterly profits to adhere to, matters she didn't feel comfortable leaving to Goddard or Pabbie. It was not a position she could neglect, especially if she could use her influence in the city to lobby for stricter police work.

"I think you'd be really good at it!" Olaf opined, actually jumping up and down at the thought of such an endeavour. "We could be a crime-fighting team! Although I'd probably keep watch from here…"

Regardless of her logical mind, some part of Elsa was still thrilled by the idea. The feeling was arguably stupid, her throbbing leg reminding her of the physical demands. But, as she realised, it was her vigilante guise which had brought her closer to Anna. A silly reason to some, though her actions would make the city safer for her sister and her few friends, not to mention all the downtrodden who were at risk every day.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. When she took it out she found an invitation from Anna to go a club in the evening, apparently to relax.

"I'll think about it." Elsa admitted, as she got up to leave.

Pabbie and Olaf only watched as she exited the tunnels. She looked back at least thrice before she disappeared entirely.

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><p>In black-and-white, projected onto a blank wall, the vigilante burst through Elsa Noble's frozen office window. The refractive figure swiftly pounded the dark, man-shaped character attempting to defend himself before she tossed over her shoulder. A brief moment of torture followed, succeeded by a silent conversation. Unfortunately, the CCTV footage did not allow for audio, although it was obvious the sparkling warrior was speaking with an accomplice who was elsewhere. She walked out of the room, then the picture wobbled as an hour passed in a second. Anna Noble was now in standing awkwardly amidst the glass and melted ice, while Jones retrieved the pen drive from the desktop. Soon after the vigilante reappeared, flicking a field of icicles to encase the former soldier while the childish adult escaped. After injuring Jones, the vigilante also walked out. There was another flicker, and the clip began again from the moment the cold window shattered.<p>

Analysing every little detail on the continuous loop, Duke Weselton could only say he was impressed by the skill the pseudo-hero showed. Whatever she was, she had been trained for a long time. She had been a long time coming and threatened the plans he had formed with his associate. Weselton shivered as he felt the ever watchful eyes on him from an undisclosed source. He hated the sneaking nature of the ally.

"Are you sure she can be dealt with?" Weselton asked the silent study, not daring to avert his eyes from the recovered film.

There was a slight rustle from the thick curtains which blocked out the evening light and made the finely furnished room unbearably hot. It had only been ten minutes, yet already Weselton could feel the toupee sliding on his sweaty scalp.

"Yes," The electronically deep voice replied from the opposite side of the study. "She's barely aware of the web we are weaving. If she turns up again, we'll let her run around. We'll keep her distracted. Should she become _too_ involved then _I_ will deal with her. Make sure it doesn't get to that point."

Weselton nodded readily, aware of what his ally was capable of. "I'll name her a public enemy in the morning. Every police officer will be directed against her, which should also give us some more freedom to carry on our agenda."

The hidden man did not reply, as soon after there was a cautious knock as the mahogany door. Weselton paused, making sure he had consent, before calling the guest in. Without the butler, who had been sent home early, as an escort George Jones limped into the home office. His eyes were surrounded by the familiar redness of mace and his right hand was bulky with several layers of blood-stained bandages protecting his wounded palm. Overall, with his crumpled black clothes and now patchy mutton chops, he looked like the pathetic excuse for a conspirator he was.

"Ah, George," Weselton greeted. He didn't offer a seat. "I take it Latimer dropped you here without incident?"

"After leaving me in a jail cell all night," Jones spat, voice hoarser than it should be. "The pig even beat me a few times to convince the other prisoners I was genuinely arrested."

"You _are _genuinely arrested!" Weselton corrected. "All you had to do was hold the little bitch long enough to bankrupt the Noble Corporation, and you were beaten by a walking disco ball, twice!"

Jones flinched in the gloom, feeling the wrath of someone who he had regarded as a friend just yesterday.

"Do you see what I see?" The Mayor interrogated, pointing to the blaring monochrome video of the vigilante's confrontation with Jones. "You had the opportunity to kill the iridescent cow, and you hesitated!"

Flinching when he saw his past self stabbed through the hand, Jones vainly attempted to defend his loss. "You don't understand! That woman wasn't using technology, the ice _came out of her hands_! How was I supposed to stop that?"

"With bullets." Weselton coldly pointed out. "Did you at least get the data out?"

Jones paused momentarily, then fumbled through his pockets with his good hand. Eventually, he pulled out the sleek pen drive, which he offered as the token of peace it would never be. Weselton snatched it from him, placing it on the desk an evaluative glare.

"May I- May I go then?" Jones weakly asked, well aware of the dangerous position he stood in.

The Mayor paused, almost regretfully, before replying. "You know that's not my decision. You failed him, twice. I don't think he's going to be very forgiving."

The only noise Jones could make at that point was a small groan. He tried to run back to the study door, but was halted when the lights blasted on and revealed his judge, jury and executioner.

Standing in an elaborate suit of cream, navy and purple with an ornate lightweight helmet which covered his entire head stood the feared assassin. With a single swipe of his ceremonial Roman sword, he split Jones' chest with minimal blood marking the blade. Jones collapsed in a red and black heap at his feet with a small grunt of pain. Dead.

The assailant calmly bowed his head to look at the fallen man. Then he wiped the sword clean on the black coat and sheathed it in a fluid motion. Weselton turned visibly green, having been distressed by the casual murder of a trusted advisor. He silently wondered whether he was in too deep.

"I wish you hadn't done that." The Mayor quietly voiced, pushing the desk chair slightly further away from his 'ally'.

Turning to face Weselton, the armoured man menacingly crossed his arms behind his back in faux-patience.

"I'll pay to have the carpet stains removed." He said, before marching out of the study.

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><p><strong>So that's the first little episode of our superhero's adventures. Hope you've all enjoyed it thus far. More to come soon.<strong>

**Please review.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Onwards, to a new 'episode' of sorts! Hope it reads well: the ending, in my opinion, is a bit rushed so it may be edited later on (no details will change, literally just so it flows better).**

**Huge thank you to all the readers who have stayed with me so far, nothing brighten my day like reading your reviews. **

**WARNING: Mentions of drug abuse (nothing extreme, actually rather benign but could be disturbing for some) and alcohol (also very light).**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own**_** Frozen**_** or **_**The Princess and the Frog**_**. To save time, let's just assume everything belongs to Disney except original characters.**

**Hope you enjoy.**

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><p>Three weeks. Twenty-one days since the first appearance of the Arendelle Vigilante. Despite everything else that had happened the so-called terrorist or people's protector was still newsworthy. The other events, including the break-out of convict brothers in Corona, the controversial negotiations between the Noble Corporation and Westerguard Industries, and the impending visit of a European royal, seemed to take a back seat to this local fascination. It seemed, to Elsa Noble, utterly pointless. The woman in blue had only made one semi-public appearance.<p>

Sitting in the back seat of her car, riding through the fading light of July, Elsa read the daily newspaper several times. Obviously it had been a slow week; she was fairly certain this particular article was recycled from one the week before. This was only to be expected. Thanks to Olaf's intervention and Pabbie's precautions no new evidence had come to light, so the short added passage which did not recount the events but gave speculation was loose enough to keep the heat off Elsa for the foreseeable future.

_Unfortunately, witness accounts have been unable to render any further details. Many of the arrested conspirators have unanimously identified the Vigilante as female, roughly twenty and of above average height. Anna Noble, who twice had contact with the Vigilante, has admitted to not seeing any other details. She says that on both occasions the Vigilante was masked and once in silhouette. Hair samples have been found at the scene of the crime. However these have not matched any DNA records but do allow further features to become known. _

_Captain Erik Latimer, on instructions from Mayor Weselton, has named the Vigilante a public menace. The police urge that anyone who sees a person matching the description of wearing a blue reflective suit in a mask is to alert the authorities immediately. Experts are still uncertain as to how the Vigilante manipulates ice. Current theories suggest stolen technology, while some extreme ideas claim the Vigilante and the kidnappers were working in conjunction to provide an illusion of heroism. _

_In similar news, hunts for the Archer, Flynn Rider and the Mermaid continue. Rider has had sightings further from Corona in the past few weeks with some Arendelle locals wondering if there is an alliance between the various costumed crusaders…_

Elsa lost interest when the journalist's tale moved to these other 'superheroes'. In what little research she had made it seemed she was the only person in the mix who actually had powers. Although the more she looked the more Elsa found that there were far more of these insane public servants across the globe. So far there had been at least ten reports on different individuals, but within those files there were references to nearly twenty more. The three examples in the paper were only those limited to _this _country.

Outside the tinted windows the Mountains smoothly slid past. Even though the sun was barely dipping below the rooftop horizons, the streets held an unnatural darkness which felt foreboding when Elsa looked up at the people wandering along the sidewalks aimlessly. Since her return from Norway there had been no less than fifteen muggings and eight daylight robberies of what few stores remained open. The police had barely reacted under Weselton's administration, leading Elsa to view the motto '_To Protect and Serve_' with scorn. Even if they weren't entirely effective at the best of times Arendelle Police Force left a lot to be desired. There had been suggestions to have a Chief Maximus visit to bring them up to standard.

"We'll be at the tower in ten minutes, Miss." Kai said from the driver's seat, turning a corner onto a wider road running along the edge of the Mountains.

"Thank you, Kai." Elsa replied, rubbing her knee to massage the fading bruise underneath her slacks.

The relics of her adventure against Jones and his cronies were slowly healing over. Many of them were already indistinguishable from undamaged tissue, although they still hurt after limited exertion. Thankfully the bruises did not get in the way of her exercise routines. Those daily practices were a huge part of keeping her powers under control. Still, there were some patches of skin more discoloured than others and there was a burn over her stomach which required regular cooling since the taser had caused more damage than first expected.

It had all been worth it, ultimately. Anna had been rescued from her potential murderers. Elsa's identity was safe. George Jones had been imprisoned for his crimes against her family. Although it had perturbed Elsa that Jones had been barely mentioned in the papers since his arrest. All the other kidnappers had been listed. Jones alone had been absent, though had not reappeared in office.

As the car stopped at the traffic lights, Elsa wondered whether she would ever need to don the shiny blue suit again. Attacks against people she personally cared about seemed wildly unlikely, seeing as there were only three people she knew well enough to count as a friend. One was her sister, who had kept out of the public eye as much as possible recently, another was Olaf, whose connection to her was widely unknown, and finally there was Pabbie, who spent much of his day inside a well-guarded laboratory. Beyond that, Elsa didn't have any real friendly relationship with anyone. But at the same time, many of the residents of the city were at risk every day. And if the police weren't going to act in their protection, who would?

A possible answer leapt to her mind a Kai inched forward in the traffic queue. Her window lined up with a wide alleyway, down which Elsa saw a woman having her handbag wrestled off her by a tracksuit wearing thug. It shocked Elsa that people walked by without reacting to the crime, even when the woman began calling for help. She was putting up a hell of struggle, with her bag clutched in a death grip, but the thug was proving too persistent in his shoving. The responsibility for aid seemed to dissipate among the pedestrians, and Elsa Noble realised in that moment all it took was for someone to _act_.

That someone might as well be her.

"Kai, wait here or pull over when possible." She instructed, unclasping her seatbelt and jumping out of the vehicle.

The rush of people continued to listlessly wander by, almost forcibly ignorant of both the crime taking place just off the sidewalk and the millionaire who chose to help when no one else would. Marching perpendicular to walking traffic, Elsa entered the alley as she began to reach for the loose finger of her glove. Her hands ached to unleash the cold wind they contained. The attacked woman looked up at her when her foot glanced an empty can, expressing her relief with eyes which lit up like a fairy light while her face held stoic determination to continue hanging onto her bag.

Just as Elsa was pulling herself into a guarding stance, peeling away silk over her hand, she suddenly became very self-conscious of what she was doing. All her life she had been hiding her powers. They had only been used twice on purpose in her entire life, both times with a mask protecting her discovery. Now she was about to use them to fend off a petty criminal in the middle of the city with her face for all to see.

Worse still, out of the corner of her eye she saw a police car pull up in the line for the junction. They may ignore a mugging but they had been specially instructed to keep an eye out for random appearances of ice. Therefore, they wouldn't be quite as blind if a CEO produced a mountain of snow directly in front of them.

It was only when the victim started yelling at her that Elsa returned her thoughts to the present. Whilst she had stood in the middle of movement, the evening breeze flowing over her cold wrist, the thug had grappled the handbag from its owner and was now making a hasty escape back down the alley to freedom. Understandably, the woman who had just lost her keys, purse and other valuables normally kept in a handbag rounded on Elsa in a desperate fury. Sadly her irate rant fell on deaf ears, as the younger woman recollected her thoughts. Pulling the glove back fully over her arm, Elsa started to step back when the woman suddenly lunged forwards to shout directly into her face.

Elsa leapt back at the gross trespassing of her personal space, landing on the empty can. However, when her foot met the aluminium shell there wasn't the metallic _crunch_ one might expect. Instead there was a quiet _crack_. When Elsa stole a glance at the floor, she shrilly gasped as the frostbitten, ice-shining Coca-Cola can. She hadn't intended for her powers to have any effect on the surrounding area. The gloves had barely been removed from her forearm. How, then, had she frozen the trash? Her powers had never acted so subtly before, not without her awareness anyway. Frigid dread began to bubble under chest. Thankfully, the loud woman failed to notice.

"I'm sorry." Elsa timidly murmured, before turning and dashing back to the safety of the car.

Kai looked thoroughly bemused by the scenario but once his employer had slammed the door shut he had the common sense to pull away as quickly as possible. He didn't ask what Elsa had gone to do and she didn't offer to tell him.

Curled up on the back seat, Elsa spent the next few minutes attempting to gather together her fears. Her breathing was somewhat forced, trying to stop herself from falling into the familiar abyss of panic which threatened to engulf her at the appearance of this problem. Up until now, gloves had always proven able to contain the cold extensions of her emotions. It was only in the most extreme situations, when the stress was too much even for the most stoic of people, that her powers had managed to transgress the woollen barrier in any substantial amount. The mugging she had just witnessed, on the other hand, was not particularly stressful for her. So why had the can become frozen?

Knowing of only person who could offer an answer, Elsa decided she would have to discretely talk to Pabbie after the evening meeting.

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><p>"In conclusion," Captain Latimer stated, collecting together his report. "It appears nothing was taken in the break-in, with all damages related to the Arendelle Vigilante. The kidnappers seem to have chosen the building out of convenience for the security measures once they were inside, although how they knew Miss Noble, the younger Miss Noble that is, was in this location at the time of their attack is still unknown. Since Miss Noble has not been under threat in the previous twenty days we are assuming the group has been neutralised."<p>

Even though it wasn't the conclusive evidence the Police Captain made it out to be, the board members still gave a half-hearted round of applause. Elsa, however, did not join in. Latimer had raised further questions into the case of Anna's abduction which had not previously concerned her. It did seem a little too well-timed to purely be coincidence, yet none of them could have known the sisters had arranged to meet in the building. On top of this, Elsa realised, how had they been aware of the security features which prevented their immediate arrest? Some facts did not fit the police theory, although she failed to voice her concerns to the man who had wanted her to negotiate with Jones.

"Thank you, Mr Latimer," Goddard said somewhat dismissively. The man Elsa could only really describe as a fatcat displayed minimum concern for the hostage situation once it had become clear nothing _worthwhile_ had been under threat. She was incredibly close to firing him on those grounds alone. "If you have somewhere else you need to be, don't let us keep you."

Latimer nodded, bid farewell and promptly exited. Once he was gone Goddard fell into the predictable routine of a meeting which Elsa had realised rarely strayed from a set path. He would open by discussing the gains and losses, before outlining departments he thought the company could save money on. Invariably, the board room would be split between support for Goddard and support for Pabbie, eventually leading to Elsa making the executive decision to either rope in the funding or ignore the worries. In the last eleven meetings, Goddard had been rejected no less than eight times. The discussion would then move onto new ventures the company could make to bring in more of the idolised green bills, which were usually approved, before closing with an arrangement for the next meeting.

Surprisingly, there was an almost wild tangent from Goddard unchanging agenda on this particular evening, which caught Elsa completely unaware. In fact, she had more or less switched off after Latimer had finished speaking some forty minutes ago. She doubted anyone other than Pabbie had realised she had instead been staring quite intently as her clasped hands on the table top.

"Next order of business; the Maldonian," Goddard's neighbour, whom Elsa believed was called Jameson, said. "As we are all aware, we have the good fortune to be receiving a visit from Prince Naveen in just two days time. We should also all be aware that this is important to the Corporation since Maldonia has a heavy interest in our pharmaceuticals."

If Elsa was perfectly honest, she had no idea Maldonia sourced most of their medicines from Arendelle. In fact, she wasn't entirely sure where Maldonia was. It sounded European.

"That's right," Goddard piped up. "So naturally, we're very keen to continue having the Maldonian government invest in us. Luckily, they're a largely autocratic state, so if we can impress Naveen we're pretty much home free. We feel even luckier, then, that our esteemed CEO has extended an invitation to Prince to stay in her estate."

"Hang on," Elsa interrupted, brow furrowing in bemusement. "I didn't invite the Prince to my _house_. I invited him to tour the company, on your suggestion, but I never said anything about the house."

A silence hung in the boardroom. No one wanted to explain the situation to the reserved, though fearsome, woman. Many had been under the impression she had known. Pabbie alone seemed equally as ignorant as Elsa.

"Right, well," Goddard started, swallowing at his mistake. "A number of the board thought it would be simpler for Prince Naveen to stay in your house to keep him close to the company. So we emailed around and arranged. You should have been notified."

"I beg your pardon?" Elsa questioned, outraged at the audacity. "A group of you, who are complete strangers to me outside these walls, decided another complete stranger will be sleeping in my guest room? Did none of you think to ask me about this in _person_?!"

"It's part of the job," Goddard casually shrugged despite the cooling atmosphere. "You're the figure head of this corporation. We organise everything, keep it running, you deal with the public image. Like the Queen of England!" He snapped his finger proudly at the analogy. "Queen Elizabeth; she's associated with the institutions of Britain, but how much power does she actually hold? Very little. The Prime Minister and his cabinet have most of the control. You're the 'Queen' of this company, if you like."

When Elsa did not respond with the enthusiasm Goddard apparently expected, he mirrored her anger and confusion with a lesser parody.

"I thought you liked all that British stuff?" He added. "Didn't you study at Oxford?"

"_Oslo." _Elsa corrected coldly. On the edge of her focus she felt frost fill the inside of her shoe.

"Oh." Goddard replied, mortified over his mistake as he fumbled to keep the analogy. "Well, the CEO of a Norwegian company. You're just like_ them_."

"The metaphor would have still worked," Elsa commented, in a terrifyingly calm voice. "Although you may be unaware, Norway is _also_ a constitutional monarchy under King Harald the Fifth. Additionally, a monarch is the only person in a country who can dissolve a parliament. So, _Mr Goddard_, your parallel is correct because this company is unique. _I _hold the right to dissolve this board as my father did and his father before him, who wrote the goddamn 'constitution' which this company has reached success with. Therefore, if you ever think of intruding on my personal life again without consulting me; you will find yourself in the lobby with a severance cheque and '_Knulle deg' _stamped on your forehead."

Goddard remained silent once Elsa finished her rant. It was all true, she did have the power to fire him or anyone else in the room due to an extended contract the legal department kept in effect. Few truly understood where her anger had come from over the matter. However every single grey face in a silk suit knew that their positions were very tenuous with Elsa.

"I will host Prince Naveen," Elsa conceded, fingers tremoring but clasped tightly to hide this fact. "But make sure this never happens again."

After a moment of quiet, there was an enthusiastic clapping sound from her right. Pabbie held his granite-like hands high as he applauded Elsa. He, of course, understood he was exempt from the verbal attack.

"If there's nothing else to discuss, I do think Queen Elsa ought to prepare for her guest." The old man warmly recommended, giving her a chance to escape the boardroom at long last.

* * *

><p>Not too far away, at a small off-license in the middle of the Mountains, Anna Noble eyed the street carefully in both directions before stepping out of the store. In her hands she carried two plastic bags filled with clinking bottles and a six-pack of beer. These had been purchased by no legal means, seeing as their carrier was only nineteen despite what her driving license (even though she didn't own a car) said.<p>

Anna was painfully aware of her last public appearance with alcohol; an unfortunate image which may forever be associated with her name. Luckily, Elsa didn't know of that exact image as of yet. If she were given a choice, Anna would make sure her older sister never found out about the incident four years ago. It had stung at the time, when it looked like Elsa didn't care about her, but she had since realised that absence was a blessing in some cases. Over the intervening years she thought she had learnt how to hold her liquor, or at least how to hide it from the public. There was no actual harm in what she was doing.

Regardless, after a short interval Anna readjusted her grip on the bags so she could pull her beanie further down her head. Once happy her red bun was fully covered, she pulled the loose green-and-black plaid shirt tighter around her torso and straightened the fake glasses. It seemed unlikely anyone would recognise without her trademark twin braids or tight shirts, but she liked to be certain. Right now, on the quiet side street, she was just another hipster. A hipster who could be arrested for underage drinking.

Anna quickened her step in fear of any journalists following her. Deep down she knew she was just paranoid about the media. The feeling of being followed turned out to be completely justified.

As she turned the next corner, Anna tripped over something that felt remarkably like a foot. The bottles clattered on the pavement, catching her attention more than the lanky hand which nonchalantly stretched out to grab her arm. She stopped falling just a foot off the ground and nothing spilt from the bags. Her sigh of relief was audible.

"Why, are you alright, my dear?" The owner of the hand said in a strong New Orleans accent.

Anna turned back to face the stranger, who she thought had also been the one to knock her down given his proximity and the emptiness of the street. He was a tall, ebony-skinned man who could have been entering his forties or still be in his twenties, with a slim moustache and a smile which revealed straight, albeit parted, front teeth. The way he smiled was simultaneously reassuring and unnerving, as his eyes glimmered in a dark blue which almost looked indigo. His frame was excessively slim, although his belly was visible under his slightly too small plum waistcoat. Tuxedo tails swished behind him when he moved, complete with a tall, crimson-banded top hat and spats over his shoes. In one hand he held a purple-topped cane while the other pulled Anna back to her feet.

"Erm, yes. Thank you." Anna replied, itching to retrieve her bags and run back to her apartment. Something about this gentleman didn't sit right with her.

"Well, I must say you looked a little flustered, girl," The untidily dressed gentleman responded quickly and easily. "Are you in need of a little pick-me-up? There's a bar not two blocks away."

"Oh, I'm alright," Anna slowly replied, noting that he still held her wrist loosely. She may have been inexperienced when it came to social cues but on the many occasions she had tripped every person who had caught her let go once she was back on her feet. "I've got some drinks waiting for me at home."

The purple-and-red man faltered briefly, having expected her to consent. Rethinking his approach, he tentatively let go. Anna immediately took a step back and reached for her bags. When she made to leave, the man slid around to face her again with his cane under his left arm, the hand in his pocket and a sly smile spreading across his face. Casually, he played with a deck of cards in his remaining slender hand.

"Ah! I see," He cried jovially. "You have _a boy_ waiting for you somewhere. I suppose a nice one? Good prospects?"

Despite every nerve in her body telling her to continue on her way, Anna stopped to listen. Currently, Hans was in the Westerguard building in a conference with other regional managers (who also happened to be his brothers). He had promised to drop by if the meeting ended early enough, although it was not uncommon for him to come out of the boardroom frustrated by his family's habit of overlooking him. Nevertheless, he would be in contact at some point and would probably invite her to a dinner out somewhere. Since her abduction three weeks ago, Hans had been much more proactive in pursuing romance; having taken her to two highly rated restaurants as well as a day trip on his private yacht. To be honest, Anna was not quite ready for a relationship but could imagine it happening in the not too distant future. In fact, there was a warm glow in her soul that her life finally seemed on track; she had her sister and a best friend who could one day be more. Not bad, although a bit cliché if she were to really think about it.

"Would you like to find out your future?" The strange man went on, flicking a card between his lengthy fingers. "After all, I do have _friends_ on the other side."

Anna couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her lips. The man drew his eyebrows together in surprise and insult.

"What?" She asked, internally laughing at the ridiculous idea. Her mother had long ago explained the scam that was psychics.

"Allow me to introduce myself," He said, rapidly regaining control. "I am _Doctor_ Facilier, Bokor and proprietor of the Louisiana Voodoo Emporium. I can tell you your past, present and future because my friends allow me sight. If you like, I could give you sight as well."

"I can see just fine, thanks." Anna replied, quickly shuffling to the side in an attempt to pass him.

Unfortunately he managed her position, blocking off the sidewalk. "Come now, girl. Surely you want to know what will come in your future?"

The momentary amusement Anna had experienced faded at his pervasiveness. Even more so, when she saw the small sachet of powder he had produced from amongst his cards the rosy colour drained from her face. All of a sudden she realised what exactly he was offering her by way of 'sight'. That was not the kind of recreational activity she was after, especially since half the city already thought she partook in it.

She pointedly looked between the little packet and Facilier's cold eyes. Outrunning him seemed unlikely, due to the excessive length of his legs. Fighting would be even less productive. He could have been armed for all she knew. If the Vigilante were to suddenly swoop in that would be a blessing. Hell, if Elsa were here she would feel more confident. Only one course of action would be close to useful.

"No, no." Anna determinedly replied, meeting the spindly giant's eye. "I'd like to go now. My Dad's waiting for me. He's a cop."

Whether Facilier believed her or not was unknown, but he shrugged good-naturedly and stepped aside. Not wanting to doubt her luck, Anna immediately began walking away from him towards the still sun-bathed apartment blocks where her penthouse was waiting. Thankfully, he didn't follow her. However, when she passed him she felt a sting erupt in her hand, the sensation of which was not too dissimilar to a weak bite. When she inspected her palm once she was safely around the corner, Anna found a small dent in the skin just below her little finger. There was a small trickle of blood, but nothing more.

Chancing a glance back along the street, Anna spotted Facilier walking in the opposite direction. As he went he swung what appeared to be a bulky pendant around a bony finger.

Wanting to forget the experience, the younger Noble dug a can of beer out of her bag, popped the cap and lightly jogged home whilst taking regular swigs of the bitter liquid.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Elsa sat in her private study pretending to puzzle over a contract which would allow the Noble Corporation to supply a small chain of pharmacies near Dunbroch with various basic medicines. Apparently their old suppliers had claimed bankruptcy earlier in the month and they were now facing the possibility of being unable to provide prescriptions. Normally a document such as this would not have been an issue, but the contract had been forwarded to Elsa with a note from Goddard suggesting the company drive up the payments. That note had been promptly discarded in the waste paper basket in a little arctic heap.<p>

It was the fact that the paper had been rendered ice-ridden unwillingly which gave Elsa her current state of confusion. As always, she had been wearing her gloves to prevent the tactile transmission. Indeed, today she was using a slightly thicker variety in a failed attempt to counteract the increased unpredictability. This recent development was playing more and more on her mind by the minute. Were these the signs that the dam holding in her powers was cracking? Had there been a change in her condition? Obviously there had been no cases of a stable genetic mutation such as hers before, so it was entirely possible in Elsa's mind that there were unknown variables in the original virus.

Unfortunately there had been no chance to consult Pabbie after the meeting. Jameson had required her urgent judgement on what was ultimately the trivial matter of replacing her office window. She had quite easily avoided using her office since her first day, seeing as she only really needed to attend the tri-weekly meetings and occasionally visit a few departments. All the paperwork could be managed in the privacy of her own home which gave her ample protection from revealing her powers. This, of course, meant that catching Pabbie at a free moment was supremely difficult. At least three messages had been left on his answering machine with cryptic instructions to investigate the issue.

Focussing on the gloves, Elsa inspected every minute stitch in case the cloth had been torn. However this was only wishful thinking. A few of the items she had frozen she hadn't made prolonged contact with, and certainly not against her skin. If they continued to prove a problem she reasoned she would have to send Naveen to stay somewhere else. Perhaps with Anna. An blueblood in the apartment might intimidate Hans and keep him away for a while. Equally it might only increase his visits.

When the red-headed Westerguard graced her thoughts a paperweight instantaneously crusted over with frost, with very quiet cracks illustrating the growth of the ice. Although Elsa missed the development entirely when a quick knock emanated from the door.

"Come in." Elsa welcomed, closing the lid of her antique writing desk to hide the documents.

The oiled door opened just enough to admit the familiar and friendly face of the household chef. Tiana DeLongis was relatively young and inexperienced when compared to other cooks to utilise the kitchens, but she was by the far the best and most hard-working Elsa had ever known. She had been hired by Gerda shortly before Elsa's return, primarily to prepare her employer's evening meals and provide for any other dining scenarios imaginable. Since Elsa had simple breakfasts and spent much of the day holed up in the study, Tiana had been given more time off that originally intended although this came at no less pay. In fact Tiana had chosen to apply for several part-time jobs to keep herself busy when she was not needed on the Noble Estate.

"Miss Noble, I'm heading off for the afternoon. I have an interview for waitressing just inside the city," Tiana said in a way which made it clear there would be no objection. It had since their first meeting that there was nothing that could stand in the way of the chef's ambition. Elsa respected that. "I'll be back by five."

Elsa nodded in understanding, taking a moment to admire the simple yellow sundress which Tiana seemed to economise for various purposes. She wondered if she would have just as hard working if she had been born without her wealth and the cryokinesis.

"Alright, take as long as you need," Elsa replied, fiddling with fingers of her left glove. "But before you go, did Gerda tell everyone about the Prince?"

"Yes, of course. I'll look up some Maldonian dishes this evening," Tiana helpfully responded. "I hear some of them are a challenge."

"I expect you'll be disappointed that they're not challenging enough." Elsa complimented, hoping it had come out correct. Sometimes her compliments were open to interpretation, much like her sister's.

Speaking of her sister, Gerda arrived just as Tiana was leaving to inform Elsa of the younger Noble's presence. Elsa wasted no time in rushing down the long hallways to the lounge, where Anna had unceremoniously made herself at home.

Having met often over the last few weeks, Elsa could immediately tell her sister wasn't entirely well this morning. The large sunglasses Anna wore were not entirely unexpected, although Elsa didn't want to bring up the apparent frequent drinking just yet. There was always a chance Anna would reject her concern or become insulted. Elsa herself was teetotal by demand, so was truly clueless as to what was a healthy amount to drink in a month. She liked to think Anna did not meet that limit at all and instead was merely a late teen rebel. Regardless of her alcohol induced symptoms, it appeared as if Anna had a green tinge to her skin.

Regardless of how she actually felt, Anna still made sure to behave as she normally would; just without quick movements. When asked if she was ill, she claimed to have had an overly large breakfast.

"So what's the exciting news?" Anna asked, eager to be in the know on Elsa's life.

"Well, exciting from most people's perspective, maybe," Elsa commented, still annoyed that this duty had been thrust upon her. "Prince Naveen will be staying _here._"

A single beat passed as Anna processed this news. Then she nearly jumped to her feet in exhilaration at the idea of having a Royal in her childhood home, with an accompanied squeal to punctuate her point. She did, however, remain seated she outwardly cringed when she tried to contort herself to standing.

"Are you serious?!" She cried. "_Prince Naveen?_ In this house?"

"Is- is that good?" Elsa asked, thoroughly bemused by the situation.

"Of course that's good! It's brilliant!" Anna clarified, bouncing on the sofa. "He's a _Prince_. Every girl dreams of meeting a prince!"

"I don't think they did in the War of Independence," Elsa drily replied, happy that her sister was happy. "Listen, I need you to do me a favour. Naveen has to enjoy his stay in Arendelle, otherwise the company will lose quite a lot of investment. Do you think you could organise some entertainment for him? Like a party or something?"

Anna's ears literally perked up at the word 'party'. "Hell yeah! Oh! Can it be here? The ballroom hasn't been used in ages! Sometimes I wonder why we have one when we don't throw any balls!"

"Um, yeah. Of course. If you can sort it all out." Elsa hadn't actually wanted to have a large gathering of people in her home, but she found it hard to deny Anna anything after all that time in isolation.

"Oh! I can't wait!" Anna exclaimed, barely containing her joy over the approaching social event. It would be difficult to plan on short notice, Naveen was due to arrive in just two days, but ideas were already swimming to her mind.

The tell-tale sound of phone dully trilled from Anna's pocket, breaking the building glee. When she looked at the text message her face fell underneath the reflective glasses.

"Ah, erm." She murmured, glancing from the phone to Elsa and back again.

"What is it?" Elsa was concerned at her sister's lowered mood. The accompanied face was one she never wanted to see Anna wear. In fact she had been the cause of disappointment for many years, making the expression all the more bitter in her eyes.

"Oaken's short staffed," Anna answered, with an evident internal debate raging in her head. "He's asking if I can work this lunch shift."

"Oh." Elsa simply replied. The sisters had had plans to make use of the family swimming pool this afternoon, which been idle for the last few years and deserved some attention.

"Would you mind, if I went?" Anna tentatively asked, reddening at the cheeks. "I'm sorry, I just don't want to leave him floundering. Quite a lot of people have been off sick recently."

"Yeah, no, it's fine," Elsa reassured, reaching to pat Anna on her shoulder but she ultimately decided not to. Anna didn't seem to notice. "We can always swim after you finish. It would actually give me a chance catch up on some work. Are you sure you're alright?"

When Anna clambered to her feet from the low sofa, she cringed at the head rush and looked as if her legs would give out at any moment. Rubbing her temples and giving a thumbs up, they made hasty arrangements to get together in the mid-afternoon rather than sharing a lunch Tiana had prepared for them.

Neither of them noticed, due to symptoms of illness and worry, the ice which slowly crept up the legs of Elsa's chair.

* * *

><p>By one o'clock, two hours into her shift, Anna felt marginally better if still not one-hundred percent. She didn't think the opportunity had arisen for her to come into contact with anything virulent. Last night she had been perfectly well, so if anything this was merely part of a hangover she hadn't experienced before. Since arriving at <em>Oaken's <em>Anna had drunk at least three glasses of water which had thankfully lessened her headache and allowed her to get rid of the sunglasses. All she had to do was make it through the midday rush intact, then it was back to the mansion for pool fun with Elsa. That thought alone helped her get through the impromptu work.

"Anna, could you get table five's drinks?" Oaken asked, slamming down the order whilst gathering the sodas she had just poured for another table. "Danke."

As she moved around the bar to find the required taps, Anna just so happened to look up at the window to spot an unfortunately familiar face. On the opposite side of the steamed panes, smiling sadistically at her, was Facilier. They both stopped to make eye contact, during which Anna reasserted her position by motioning towards the enormous form of Oaken. It didn't take a genius to realise the European man was capable of lifting an adult over his head in one hand. However, Facilier barely reacted.

Instead he held up the bulky pendant from the night before and squeezed it. Then he quickly wandered out of sight.

Worried by the encounter, Anna began to search for her phone to report the location of a dealer to the police. She felt sick again when she turned to find the stairs _but instead saw the ballroom of the mansion; alive with laughing people and music and the warm glow of a chandelier. People her own age were dancing to the ageless tunes of Beethoven, while the middle aged (presumably business partners of her father's) stood at the sides enjoying champagne. The colours of suits and dresses swished like a golden rainbow, and then _Oaken tapped her on the shoulder.

"Anna, the drinks!" He urged.

_When Anna looked to her left she saw a figure she didn't know she had missed so much. It was strange given that, to her knowledge, she had last seen Adgar Noble that morning. Regardless, she wasted no time in hugging him enthusiastically. He looked surprised by her clinginess but did not hesitate in returning the gesture. _

"_Are you alright, Anna?" Adgar asked, eyebrows drawn in confusion although his eyes laughed merrily. _

"_I feel like I haven't seen you in years." She admitted with great embarrassment. Her cheeks actually felt sweaty from the heat that radiated off them. _

"_We've only been gone a week," Adgar replied. "If you missed anyone it should be Elsa."_

_Elsa! Where was Elsa? Anna couldn't believe she'd missed her sister's graduation. She couldn't remember why she'd refused the trip to Norway, but it was more important she saw Elsa soon. _

"_Ah, there she is!" Adgar exclaimed, directing Anna's attention to the open door. _

_The music had stopped and in its place was a fanfare welcoming the older Noble daughter home. Elsa stood in the arched doorway in the most radiant dress Anna had ever seen: it was blue and dazzled under the low light in a way that made her look like a hero. Her hair was pulled together in a single thick braid which ran over her shoulder, rather than the tight bun normally favoured for studying. She was here to have fun, and when she spotted Anna in the crowd she reached out to take her hand. Anna soon found herself pulled to stand beside her sister in front the crowd which applauded on sight, although they were largely ignored by Elsa who instead hugged Anna tightly. They hadn't seen each other since last summer, when Elsa came home for the family holiday._

_Then the world shifted before her eyes and Anna was dancing with Hans to slow music. The party had thinned out; Elsa was talking to some of the business partners elsewhere in the ballroom. Hans looked resplendent in his tuxedo, more dashingly handsome than she had ever seen him. When he stared down at her, his eyes communicated everything she needed to hear. This night had been perfect. _

_Unfortunately, Anna stumbled slightly when her feet wouldn't follow her instructions. She suddenly felt unbelievably hot. Almost like she was melting. Each step became weaker and her hands felt overwhelmingly sticky. _

"_Are you with me, Anna?" Hans said concernedly, although his voice had a much thicker accent that before. Come to think of it, Hans didn't have an accent. He certainly wasn't German. Nor was he nearly _seven feet tall with a thick moustache, dressed in a heavy woollen jumper.

"Anna! Say something!" Oaken cried, supporting her with the plate-sized hands as she tried to inch her way along the floor as if she was dancing.

She gave a little cry as she fell unconscious, falling slack against Oaken's body and starting to spasm.

"Mein Gott! Someone call an ambulance!" Oaken yelled, quickly laying Anna on the floor.

Anna wriggled on the spot, then fell very calm. She didn't respond to any stimulus.

* * *

><p><strong>Please Review.<strong>


	9. Chapter 8

**This one took a while, and has come out as the longest single chapter so far. Subsequently I'm quite spaced and I'm not really sure what to mention in this comment. Do I even need to comment each time? **

**As ever, a huge thank you to my reviewers and a hearty welcome to any followers. Really not sure how far this would have got without you all. I'd probably have given up ages ago. **

**Warning for a few incidents of swearing and fantasy action, but isn't that what we're all here to see?**

**Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

><p>Arendelle Hospital's Emergency Room was irregularly busy today, or at least that's what it felt like when Elsa burst through the doors in a state of horror. All around her the seats were filled with benign accidents, childish cries and middle-aged complaining. A few people were visibly annoyed at having to sit among the ill and injured on such a warm day, others were vacant of colour just as Elsa was. Phones rang every couple of seconds, grabbing the attentions of a limited number of nurses on standby. From every angle the calm waiting area was swarming with activity and heat and <em>noise<em>, making it very hard for the new arrival to focus on any one feature other than the nagging voice which pressed that she find her sister.

Feeling dizzy from shock, fear and dehydration in her race to reach the hospital on a July mid-afternoon, Elsa dragged her feet through the congregation of accidents to the desk. Her ears were ringing dully, her vision blurring in her single-mindedness to find someone who could point her in the right direction. This feeling of dread for Anna was becoming too familiar and she didn't even know what was causing the situation this time. All she had heard from Oaken was that her sister had collapsed into an unresponsive state and was being transferred to the hospital. The giant man had barely explained anything before Elsa was rushing out of the door to reach the city. There hadn't even been time to call Kai around with the car, instead stealing one of her late father's motorcycles and appropriating its use.

The cold bubbled under her skin, itching her fingers into agony, all that time. Now that she was standing in the ER it only grew stronger so that it took half of her concentration to keep it all inside. Even then, the bucket of water atop the cooler in a small alcove next to the desk froze solid within three metres of Elsa. As if the fates pitied her in that moment, no one saw the spectacle which would have unearthed the identity of the one-time Vigilante due to the hulking mass which put himself between the public and the cooler at the pivotal second.

"Elsa! Yoo-hoo!" Oaken caught her attention with his trademark cheery call, which was strangely flat in his concern.

"Mr Oaken!" She replied, thankful to see someone she knew. "Where is she?"

"She has been taken to a private room, ze doctors say she is stable for ze minute," Oaken wasted no time in assuring her of this, reaching out a comforting bear-paw which Elsa stepped away from in her anxious state. "I do not know vhat happened, but she broke out in sveat and vas overheating."

Elsa's relief was bittersweet. Anna was alright, for now at the very least. But there was still the unanswered question of what had suddenly afflicted her. It couldn't have been caused by an outside influence, as far as Elsa could reason. Her worried mind started playing out all the farfetched explanations; from poison darts to aggressive flu. The symptoms could hardly have been so powerful in such a short space of time, especially as both sisters had been immunised against all basic and less-common diseases per the Noble Corporation's policy, and there certainly hadn't been any reports of a virus like this nationwide over the last few weeks. Once again her links with the pharmaceutical world would have told her.

So, what if, it was Elsa? What if the sudden increase in her powers was marking a mutation of the freezing virus attached to her every cell? What if it developed into an airborne pathogen? She could be immune and have infected Anna at some point. It was all _her_ fault. Again.

Snow began to pile up inside her boots when the self-loathing crashed into her like an irrational but uncontrollable wave and her hands felt as if the ice was collecting on the surface of her skin. Her consciousness split itself between the unrelenting hatred which drove her to panic and the small, logical part of her brain which demanded that she stay in control.

"Elsa?" Oaken asked timidly, seeing the strain of her jaw muscles as she clenched her skull to prevent screaming. Her entire body was rigid, which had the giant man worried for her health. He had already seen one Noble struck down. "Are you alright?"

She was only partially aware Oaken had spoken, as she found it a much greater struggle to keep her paranoia at fragile bay. How long would it take until she knew just how bad the situation was? It must have been an hour since Anna arrived. Surely the Doctors would have some idea as to the severity of her condition. Against every rational and spiteful thought on religion, Elsa found herself praying under her breath to be relieved of this painful ignorance. She just had to _know_. Then further steps could be figured out.

Without touching her, Oaken somehow managed to direct her to a vacant seat where she could take the weight off her shaken feet. He left her briefly to retrieve a plastic cup of water, which took longer than expected when he discovered the water cooler was mostly solid. Elsa didn't meet his eye when he handed her the sharply cold liquid.

"You care about Anna a lot, ja?" Oaken gently inquired, kneeling opposite her.

Elsa nodded, eyes cast at the floor.

"She alvays talks about you," He went on, smiling slightly despite their surroundings. "She asked for you _specifically_ vhen she fell. And here you are."

"Anna is," Elsa started, pausing to swallow a heavy lump in her throat. "Anna is the most important person, to me. I don't know what I'd be without her."

_Alone_ was the key word which echoed through her frayed nerves.

"I do not know who Anna vould be vithout you," Oaken agreed. "And I vould say zat you are her hero."

"No." Elsa strongly argued, meeting Oaken's eye. "I am not. Nor do I deserve to be. I left her by herself when our parents _died_. Every bad thing that has happened to her since then is my fault."

Her giant companion was quiet for a few moments. As he processed her words she saw his face shift from scepticism to belief to… acceptance. From what she saw he found her statement acceptable. But what he said next surprised her.

"Forgive me, but zat is ze stupidest idea I have ever heard," Oaken kindly said. "You speak as if zhere is no free will. As if everything you have done to Anna has led her to behave in a particular vay. Vell, nein. Anna makes her own choices. And anyone knows zat bad is likely to happen at some point when zey make a choice. So you do not need to accept blame for vhat has happened to Anna, however much you believe it is your fault. And ze past does not matter. All zat matters is zat you care for her. Zat is enough."

Elsa didn't quite know how to respond. The reasoning made sense to her, but at the same time it was completely meaningless to her situation. Oaken was blissfully unaware of her truth and couldn't know how she had contributed to what she was now certain was an infection originating from her unnatural genes. She had a feeling that if the selfless giant did know, he would condemn her for what she could do along with everyone else. Every moment Anna was with her, especially when her powers went haywire, was danger. And no matter how long ago that first accident was, it would always matter to their relationship.

Before she could answer, a nurse who recognised the city's richest resident called her name and beckoned her down the corridor which led deeper into the hospital. Without a second thought Elsa sprang past Oaken to follow the pink scrubs to the revered knowledge. Some small shred of her still hung onto the hope that something else had caused Anna to collapse. She needed to know, now more than ever.

As she raced down the semi-frantic halls behind the nurse, Elsa didn't notice the absence of an erratic trial of ice behind her. Indeed, her mind was sharpened on reaching the hospital bed more than the worry of her powers, which had naturally abated themselves in this moment under her blind focus. It was an occurrence which happened so rarely Elsa never realised until afterwards.

Finally, the nurse led her into the plain private room Anna had been set up in. Despite everything, all the niggling fears and anxious leaps in judgement, the youngest Noble was sitting quite brightly atop the covers still fully clothed. Apart from the IV line in her forearm and the fatigue under her eyes, Anna looked perfectly fine. She even smiled on spotting Elsa's distinctive hair. It took every ounce of control for Elsa to not throw herself over her sister and thank every God in the world's pantheon.

"Hi!" Anna called, shuffling up the bed so her back was straight.

"What- What happened?" Elsa asked, caught between bemusement and the overwhelming, feather-light relief.

"Oh, I came over all woozy," Anna dismissed, jabbing a thumb at her IV. "They've hooked me up on minerals and vitamins. I think we should get a few of these for after the ball! It's doing wonders for my headache."

Elsa stood awkwardly in the doorway, suddenly very light headed although she remained steady. Slowly, she took measured steps towards the bed and cautiously reached out for Anna. Her sister was caught rather off guard by the gesture, but returned the action just as carefully. When their fingers were about to touch, Elsa suddenly remembered her other problem; so she abruptly retracted her hand with an apologetic grimace.

"I was- I was terrified," She admitted, holding Anna's warm gaze. "I didn't know what was going on. I just got a call from Mr Oaken and…"

"Elsa, don't worry about me," Anna assertively informed her. "Look at me! All I had was a slight tumble. It's all fine."

"It may not be as 'fine' as you think." A new voice beckoned from the doorway.

The Noble girls turned simultaneously to meet a fresh, young face in a police uniform. He was above average in height, with dirty blonde hair and slightly more rounded features including his cheeks and nose. Unlike the other officers Elsa had encountered since her return, he stood with purpose; as if he knew what he was doing and was going to achieve it despite the odds. There was a professionally detached glimmer in his eye which only made Elsa assume it was a conscious effort to remain removed from the emotions of the room. It seemed he was all too aware of the atmosphere he had just intruded on.

A doctor beside him wandered into the room to briefly inspect Anna's mostly blank chart.

"Miss Noble, it seems you're fine. More than healthy, even," The doctor said disinterestedly. "I'd like to keep you on an IV for a little longer, but there's no reason for you to be kept overnight. You can be discharged once a nurse is happy with your progress."

"What happened to Anna?" Elsa piped up, unwilling to be out of the loop and keeping an eye on the officer. "Is it something to do with him?"

The doctor looked between the three people in the room, before giving a heavy sigh and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"It appears your sister experienced a mineral imbalance, accompanied by a rush of unnatural anaesthetics," He abstractly explained. "They were short term, and not high enough to have lasting effects, of course we'll know more when her blood test comes back. Officer Bjorgman is here because, per regulation, we have to report anything which looks like drug use."

The sisters' jaws dropped in unison as the doctor calmly revealed this information. Seconds afterwards Anna began loudly denying she had ever taken anything akin to an illegal substance in her life, and didn't stop until Elsa gave her an uncharacteristically stern look. Officer Bjorgman, the man with the shiny badge waiting patiently in the corner, cleared his throat to gain their attention once they fell silent again.

"This isn't an accusation of regular drug use," He clarified, stepping past the doctor to the end of Anna's bed. "I'm here because the reported symptoms of your collapse matches other cases which have appeared over the last week or two. All I want is to ask you a few questions and get some information."

He put it so reasonably, and manipulated his up to now detached gaze into a persuasive little grin so expertly, that Anna agreed after a moment's thought. This calmed Elsa to a great extent, having never believed that her sister would partake in recreational highs. Underage drinking, obviously. But not _drugs_. The doctor walked out of the room with a nod from Bjorgman, although his absence was unfelt as soon as he left.

"So what do you want to know?" Anna asked, somewhat bitterly. "Where I got the 'dope'? How much I shoot into my veins?"

Bjorgman was slightly perturbed by Anna's shifting demeanour of control in the interview, before he took back the power to question with a succinct explanation.

"I don't think you willingly took the drugs," He stated simply, reaching into his pocket notebook and retrieving a five-by-three inch photograph. "Although I may have to report 'vein shooting' if you were serious. Actually, first of all I want you to tell me if you've seen this man in the last forty-eight hours."

When he handed Anna the photograph, Elsa made a point to study the potential trespasser of her sister's wellbeing. She dreaded to think a group affiliated with the Tower kidnappers had continued their aim to blackmail the company through the young woman. Her fingers were gathering a numb pins and needles with the surging of cold beneath her skin, while she abruptly recalled the location of the blue suit she had worn three weeks ago. It would still be lying on the floor of the Research Facility, unless Pabbie or Olaf had moved it.

The fake gentleman in the photo certainly looked like the kind of person her one-time alter-ego would pay a visit to. It had been taken in 2009, but she doubted his appearance had changed that much by the sharp intake of breath Anna gave. Perhaps, if her rising anger continued to burrow itself into her psyche, she might retrieve the blue metal mask to hunt this 'Facilier', as it said on the board the man held, and teach him not to approach her sister.

"Yes," Anna finally answered. "I saw him last night and only a few minutes before I collapsed."

Bjorgman nodded while Elsa made sure to file away every bit of information she could gain on Facilier. Her breathing was becoming heavy, her posture tense as if under imposed restraint.

"Where did you see him, on both occasions, and what did he do?" Bjorgman pressed on, jotting down a few hasty points.

"Well, I bumped into him on the street, not too far from Queen Boulevard," Anna slowly and somewhat timidly recounted. Evidently the gangly criminal scared her, if only slightly. "He, er, I think he tripped me on purpose and then caught me. We talked for a while, and I tried to leave when I realised what a total creep he was, but then he offered me some white powder. I lied about my- my Dad being a police officer and he let me go."

"Alright," Bjorgman drawled, dragging his pen rapidly across the tiny page as he sought to capture as much detail as possible. "What time was this? Roughly."

"Erm, about eight? I don't really know." The younger Noble fidgeted with the bed covers, feeling ashamed of the encounter.

"And what happened when you saw him next? Where was that?"

"It was, erm, it was just before I fainted," Anna seemed to struggle in recalling more of this occurrence, as if something was clouding her memory. "I was getting a drinks order in _Oaken's_ and he was there in the window, and then he waved or something and left. I tried to find my phone to call the police and then…"

She trailed off, paling quite considerably. The rate at which she lost colour in her face made Elsa fear Anna was about to collapse again, but then her sister reached out and grabbed her elbow as if to steady herself. Swallowing thickly, Anna blinked a few times before resuming her fragmented narrative.

"Then I started seeing things, and I collapsed." She finished, staying away from any deeper details by choice rather than failure to recall.

"Facilier didn't go near you then, the second time?" Bjorgman asked, tapping his pen again the notepad. "He stayed outside _Oaken's_ the entire time?"

"Yeah." Anna replied definitively, remaining rather flat in mood since her admission of hallucinations.

"Mr Bjorgman," Elsa said, voicing her concerns. "Is it at all possible this 'Facilier' is after Anna? Like the group who took over the Noble Tower?"

Bjorgman mulled over the question for a few moments, thinking over the possible links between the incidents. This was the most effort she'd seen in an Arendelle Police Officer since her return. Throughout Anna's disjointed story he had remained attentive to the few details she gave and had given a larger amount of thought in responding to Elsa than Latimer had when the kidnappers made demands. She was almost impressed by his attention to the motto 'Protect and Serve'.

"To be honest, I don't think they're connected," He eventually answered. "Facilier operated mostly in New Orleans, where he has a reputation for a hallucinogenic drug he calls 'Voodoo'. He's had a few run-ins with the NOPD, but then two weeks ago he appeared in Dunbroch and we think he's behind a series of collapses in Arendelle which have had similar hallmarks. At least five people have had traces of Voodoo in their blood, and seven more have confirmed seeing him. But there doesn't seem to be a pattern to the incidents. It's likely he just chose Miss Noble randomly."

A small part of the emotional wound within Elsa's heart was soothed by Bjorgman's logical theory, yet anger continued to well in her soul. Neither Anna nor the officer had noticed, but in the last few minutes the temperature of the room had been gradually dropping while an adrenaline fuelled tremor manifested itself in her right arm.

When Bjorgman turned back to Anna, asking for her address and contact details so she could be marked as priority should Facilier resurface near her, Elsa took the chance to send a brief message to both Olaf and Pabbie. _North Mount Station, half an hour_ should be clear enough for them to understand her intentions without the risk of discovery in case another person read the texts. She couldn't think of anyone close enough to Pabbie or Olaf who would go through their phones, but caution had to be exercised nonetheless. All she needed now was a plausible reason to leave Anna in the hospital without appearing cold hearted.

In a paradox of luck, it was at that moment a new arrival knocked on the door carrying a large bouquet of colourful flowers and an oversized stuffed bear.

"Hello?" Hans Westerguard shyly asked, tiptoeing into the suddenly crowded room with a well-practiced smile and rather convincing concern in his eyes. "Is everyone all right?"

The contrast between Anna's pleasure and Elsa's dismay could not have been more pronounced. Indeed, the beaming grin and sickened grimace were comparable to the masks of drama, although Hans hardly focussed on the elder Noble as he handed the cuddly animal to Anna. The flowers eventually found a safe spot lying across the bedside table whilst the talking muttonchops wittered on to the distaste of Elsa.

"I heard a certain someone fell ill and was rushed to hospital," Hans said, playfully punching Anna's shoulder as if she had come down with the sniffles. "So naturally I followed suit as soon as I found the right daisies."

Once again, Bjorgman cleared his throat to announce his presence to Hans, who pretended to jump in alarm. Shooting that actually quite realistic smirk to the officer, he started apologising incessantly for interrupting. Bjorgman failed to look amused.

"Perhaps I should be going," Bjorgman said, folding the notepad pack into his top pocket and shuffling towards the exit. "Obviously you all need to catch up and I've left my dog in the car. More interviews may be required, but we'll wait until your blood test comes back."

Elsa saw this as her chance to excuse herself also, rather than dragging out her guilt of leaving Anna behind. Sadly, she couldn't explain the real reason for a quick exit even though it would most likely fuel her younger sister's paranoia of sororial hatred. In reality, Anna was never far from her thoughts. Besides, Hans would keep her company for the next few hours in all likelihood.

"I need to get to the office," Elsa abruptly lied, rising from the chair to ward off argument. "Goddard wants me to look over some contracts. But, how about you stay at the mansion tonight? In case you have another fall. I won't be in too late."

The impromptu invitation was effective in eradicating Anna's brief disappointment. She understood that Elsa was meant to be running a _billion dollar_ company, so spare time would be sparse. But that didn't stop the small nugget of bitterness in her heart twitching every time plans had to be cancelled or rearranged.

"Yeah, yeah sure!" Anna jumped on the invitation, forgetting today's troubles for a sweet second. "We can plan for Naveen's party!"

"Yes!" Elsa cried as she reminded herself a Prince was meant to be visiting in only a few days' time. "Oh God, there's so much to do."

"Well, I could help," Hans quietly offered, surprising Elsa with his apparent selflessness. "I'd love a chance to meet a Royal, and there's not much going on with my company at the moment; so I could devote a few hours to organising some entertainment."

Elsa did her best to hide the scowl which threatened to erupt on her face, though thankfully it was Anna's squeal of excitement which caught most of the attention. Apparently the redhead though it was a _wonderful_ idea.

"Would you? Hans, that'd be brilliant!" She shrieked happily, gripping the man's bicep in eagerness.

"I'm more than happy to," Hans genuinely assured, although Elsa had a difficult time believing him. There was nothing in his manner to suggest otherwise, it was only that she had stewed in anger at him for so many years he couldn't be divided from the enraged memories. "Although I do have a small errand to run this evening, otherwise I'm flexible."

Making a pointed cough, Elsa reminded her sister and the partially ignored company that she was about to leave. They promptly quieted to allow her to ask her final questions.

"Do you want me to send Kai to get you?" Elsa queried, doing her best to fit a functional social life around the alter-ego currently taking shape in her mind.

Before Anna could answer, Hans piped up instead. He insisted that he would drive her to the Noble Estate when she was discharged with a stop-off at her apartment on route. Again, his offer proved too much for Anna as she more than enthusiastically agreed. Without realising, Elsa felt a surge of jealousy within her freezing form at the idea of her sister being happy in the company of the man she despised. However, she equally could not deny Anna's happiness and had no choice but to accept.

"Thank you, Hans." Elsa woodenly thanked as she left, giving Anna a final, affectionate glance.

* * *

><p>When she finally arrived at North Mount Station, she was unsurprised to find Olaf and Pabbie already waiting diligently in the entrance hub. The walls and floor had somehow remained encased in the haphazard ice Elsa flung out on her first visit several weeks ago, keeping a level chill to the room which her companions seemed to tolerate under the jackets they had wisely brought. Olaf had taken his place at the computer terminal he used on his last visit, looking almost eager as he excitedly expected her plan. It was an endearing quality of his that he would simply roll with everyone else's ideas.<p>

Pabbie, on the other hand, was leaning against a bench which ran along he opposite wall with a mixed expression of recognising necessity and grim pessimism. He had retrieved the blue suit from the shopping bag it had been left in, which was currently spread out on the frigid desk in all its glimmering glory. It seemed Pabbie was busy fiddling with the metal mask. A thin red-brown line was painted along the outer rim, corresponding with a faint mark across Elsa's right eyebrow.

"How's Anna?" Pabbie questioned as soon as he heard Elsa's light step on the frost. It only made sense for him to fear the worst for the younger Noble as well, having witnessed both the girls grow up over his decade-and-a-half long association with the family. They were the closest he had to his own children.

"She's fine," Elsa was quick to relieve the old man, well aware of his concerns. "She was attacked by a drug dealer, but she's fine. She'll be discharged from the hospital in a few hours."

Despite the more shocking aspect of Anna's condition, Pabbie nodded. Without speaking further Elsa reached for the shiny fabric and examined its condition. After several bullet impacts, not to mention throwing herself around the tower, the suit still looked to be in pristine condition; its metallic surface completely unmarked to the point the disco ball simile would be applicable. Reluctantly, Pabbie handed her the mask when he realised she was entirely serious about her unspoken intentions.

"I've flattened the top of it slightly," He explained, drawing attention to the smoother section of the disguise which would cover her low forehead. "Hopefully it won't cut you, should someone punch you again."

Chipping away the dried blood, Elsa tentatively peeled off her gloves to begin changing into the newly adopted crime-fighting gear.

"So you're really going after this dealer?" Olaf questioned from his seat in front of the loading computer. "What if the police come after you?"

"None of them have shown much interest in stopping petty criminals, I doubt they'll take a woman in this glittery monstrosity seriously," Elsa reasoned, thinking over what she already knew about the ACPD. "And if they do, I need you to hack the city's cameras to stay one step ahead."

Olaf giggled with the thought of the challenge, swinging his chair to face the cool ultramarine home screen of the Noble Corporation. It wasn't long until he had brought up a string of black and green coding to tamper with.

"Can you also find any mention of a 'Dr Facilier' across the internet?" Elsa pressed, making a mental list of every advantage possible. "I want to know exactly who it is I'm turning over to the police."

To save the men the same embarrassment as last time, Elsa located the nearest platform in which to change clothes. The suit had stretched considerably during its last use, so that it no longer felt quite so tight but was unfortunately more figure-hugging than she would have liked. When she slipped the cool fabric over her skin, there was that familiar and longed for feeling of freedom again. She could feel the cold forces within her being captured by suit, redirecting it so there were only two points ice could be emitted from; that being the hands. Although, when Elsa thought about, she wasn't sure whether she could use her powers through her head or not.

With her hair partially loosened into the thick plait and with her bangs swept upwards, Elsa relaxed into her self-appointed role. _I can do this_, she told herself. She held the mask to face her, appreciating it's minimal yet large design.

Another thought suddenly popped into her head whilst admiring the blue metal-plastic combination. Where had Pabbie got it from? She hadn't questioned the gift at the time, but the mask must have been planned. It fit too perfectly and couldn't have been a rushed purchase. For Heaven's sake, it even matched the colour scheme of the suit. Thought had been put into this. At every turn, Pabbie had been prepared. He had hidden several hundred copies of the bullet-proof material from the military. He had figured out where she had gone to hide after the first public use of her powers. And, as shown, the mask had been so well-fitted it was almost like it had been sculpted to her face.

These thoughts were pushed out of her mind, however, by the echoing cry of success from Olaf. He called Elsa back through to the main hub, although he made a considerable effort to look at her face rather than the decidedly immodest get-up she had appropriated. If it was possible for improvements to be made for the suit, that would be Elsa's first request.

"I found loads on Facilier," Olaf gleefully informed her. "He's all over social media. There's even a campaign page on Twitter to keep him out of New Orleans."

True to his word, the small, pale man had unsurfaced entire pages dedicated to the analysis of the criminal and his dangerous product. A number of pictures had also been revealed in the search; showing Facilier looking very smug next to a number of potheads or stoners. Through all of them, he was dressed exactly the same; except for a sleek skull talisman he wore in a few of the more recently dated photographs. Elsa felt her skin crawl at the idea this man had been anywhere near her sister. She would have to teach him otherwise.

"That's him, then?" Pabbie asked, studying the pages of information which were spread across the screen. He was particularly interested in the retrieved forensics report on the make-up of Voodoo. "Can you print this off? If we can figure out the ingredients we might be able to pinpoint his location."

Wordlessly, Olaf followed the command; which included restarting the aged printer which was embedded in the frosted floor. Whilst he did this, Elsa nudged Pabbie to the side of the room to ask about her last concern.

"Pabbie," She began, glaring down at her aching cold hands. "I know this might be the wrong time, but I think there's a problem with my powers."

If the old man hadn't been alert before, he was now as he stood with a ruler straight back and all the fascination of a scientist.

"What do you mean?" He asked. "What's happened?"

"I've been slipping recently," She admitted, feeling the freezing energy whirling in her bones. "I think they've been growing, like they did when I was a child. They've acted without me being aware of it."

"Well, what's the scale? Are you freezing buildings?"

"No, just small things. And a water cooler, I think." When she said it that way, she realised the problem wasn't nearly as vast as she thought it had been. Pabbie seemed to catch onto this as well.

"If it hasn't been devastating or dangerous to others, then I don't see this being a real issue," He argued, examining her hands. "Will it get in the way of what you're planning tonight?"

"It shouldn't." Elsa reasoned. It was extremely unlikely she would be able to hunt Facilier down in a night. Instead, she had a much more realistic goal in place. There was still a considerable fear that if Olaf hacked into the Police records someone might notice, so another source would be needed. And there was only one person who had impressed her enough.

"Olaf," Elsa called when he'd finally finished figuring out how the printer worked. "One more thing I need. There's an officer I need to find; he's in his mid-twenties so he must have joined the force not too long ago. A few years maximum. His name is Bjorgman."

* * *

><p>In an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Arendelle, the hunted Dr Facilier nervously awaited his benefactor whilst surrounded by the little home comforts he had brought north. Among them were a few shrunken heads hung from the exposed rafters; some of which were fake but many had been located from the more primitive tribes in South America. They gave the draughty, dusty office a more intimate feel for the lanky self-styled 'bokor', as well as scaring the few henchman that had joined him for the job. A round table sat in the centre of the room, covered by a musty red velvet tablecloth and weighed down by a heavy crystal ball, along with a deck of tarot cards. It was these pictographic rectangles Facilier played with as he the seconds ticked by.<p>

It was phenomenally out of character for his contact within the city to appear in person. Since he had first been summoned, Facilier had only seen the 'White Knight' (as the henchman nicknamed the costumed freak) twice; once when he had first arrived and again on the first heist. The warning had come out of the blue just a few hours before, not long after he had returned from testing last night's subject. All it took was the thought of that silent footed figure to make Facilier extremely fretful over his continued existence on the planet. Surely that sword wouldn't swing in his direction before the plan was complete?

There was a clatter from the creaky stairs outside the office door, bringing Facilier into the moment as he prepared for an imminent attack. Wielding his cane as if he could fence against the White Knight, he foolishly held a long stance on a perpendicular angle to the door. His anger when short, fat, balding Lawrence burst through the rotting wood was palpable.

"Lawrence!" Facilier yelled, more confident in his threat to jab the man with the cane. "Don't you know about knocking! Are you trying to insult _me_, little man?!"

"N-no," Lawrence's snivelling demeanour only made Facilier's contempt for him rise. "W-we saw a vehicle, a truck I think, stop outside the fence. He might be here soo-…"

The large waste of muscle trailed off, eyes fixed on the space behind Facilier. When the taller man turned, he did his best not to leap at the surprise spectre-like form of the White Knight. His face, as always, could not be made out under the ornamental helmet. He could have been anyone under the fancy garb and rigid posture. Indeed, it was entirely possible the Knight wasn't even a 'he'. It was impossible to tell.

"Friend!" Facilier cried once he gathered his appeasing wits again. "How's it all going? Is something wrong with our deal? Lawrence! Shut the door!"

Lawrence did shut the door, but stupidly remained on the wrong side of it. The White Knight glanced at him, then back to Facilier.

"You made a mistake." The electronically changed voice grated, making Facilier shudder.

"Mistake? What mistake?" The drug-dealer worriedly asked. "Did we leave something at one of the pharmacies?"

The White Knight strode forwards, taking Facilier's vacant seat at the round table. He stared down both the present crooks, focussing more on the giant as an invisible rage made for a fragile atmosphere. Lawrence quivered under the steely gaze. It was only through an extreme amount of effort that Facilier could keep up his bravado.

"The girl you tested, the one from last night," He began, the false tones masking the emotion which radiated from his manner. "Was Anna Noble."

That particular name held no real meaning for Facilier. He could only stare without knowledge in hopes this 'Anna Noble' was not as dangerous as the Knight made out.

"Who's that?" He asked.

"Anna Noble is the sister of Elsa Noble," The Knight condescendingly explained. "Elsa Noble is head of the Noble Corporation. It is also Elsa Noble who ruined the last plot by personally interfering so that she could 'save' her sister. Because you harmed that girl, you have practically made her your enemy. She has abilities you can't even dream to possess."

Facilier scoffed at the warning. One little rich girl couldn't pose that much of a problem. What would she do? Pay him to leave the city alone?

"She _does _sound dangerous," He mocked, sitting opposite the Knight. "But I'm sure I can manage her. The cards show I'll succeed."

In a single swipe, the White Knight drew his sword and sliced through the tarot deck. Facilier almost wept. He loved those cards.

"Even if that wasn't complete bullshit, Elsa Noble could still unravel the plan. You have not dealt with her before. I have." The White Knight warned. "You better have something that can stop her. Hinder her, at least."

A few beats passed until Facilier realised this was the Knight's invitation to be impressed. It was now or never, and if he couldn't produce anything clever it was very likely he wouldn't be leaving the room alive. The sword glinted in the low light, hastening the bokor once he thought of his master card. Reaching into his pocket, Facilier retrieved a small device which very much resembled a travel aerosol can.

"Lawrence?" He called in a falsely kind tone. "Could you come over here a moment?"

Caught off guard, the squat man waddled to stand beside Facilier. A second later, the taller mastermind pressed down on the can while pointing it at Lawrence, spraying a discoloured mist directly into his face. Lawrence yelped at the pungent odour, trying to cover his mouth even though it was already too late.

"I haven't wasted the resources you've given me," Facilier explained, keeping his focus on the unmoving form of the Knight. "In fact I've managed to figure out how to make Voodoo an inhalant, increasing its potency as well. I've got five of these little cans ready, so if this Noble woman tries to get in my way I'll introduce her to her wildest dreams."

Although the Knight's mood could not be discerned through the layers of his costume, Facilier dared to believe the silent killer was satisfied with his improvement on the formula. In the background, Lawrence started whimpering; then sweating, then shrieking. His eyes had glazed over to see what his subconscious yearned for while the powerful hallucinogens in his bloodstream started tampering with his brain functions. Overall, it took two minutes to turn him into a jabbering wreck as he attempted to describe what he could see.

"What of the transmitter?" The Knight enquired over Lawrence's noise. "Have you figured out the range?"

Retrieving the skull talisman, Facilier proudly related his findings over the last fortnight.

"Depending how dead you want this guy, I'll need to be within ten metres," He ordered, running his thumb over the cleaned teeth of the device. "Although I'll also need to know where he'll be and when my opportunities will arise."

Apparently happy, the Knight stood up from the table. He marched back to the window, but not before he swung the sword violently at the insane remnant of Lawrence. It took two strikes to permanently silence the man with neither of the survivors caring for the highest loss a man can experience. Flinging the corpse out of the window, the White Knight paused on his way out.

"I will know by tomorrow evening. Make sure you have enough Voodoo." He warned, before vanishing with a nonchalant leap from the windowsill. Facilier didn't hear him land.

He was too busy planning the attack on a Noble Factory not twelve miles away.

* * *

><p>Dusk was gathering on the horizon as Elsa peeked over the ledge of the building. This area of the mountains was winding down for the night; already a number of shop fronts were locked up and the pavements were thinning of their crowds. There was certainly no one present to see her standing on the rooftop of the tallest building for three miles, dressed in a suit which could only hold onto someone's attention once she had been noticed. Indeed, there was only one person in sight who might have spotted her although he was far more preoccupied with herding a giant dog down an alleyway to do its business against a dumpster. Coincidentally, it was this man she was interested in contacting.<p>

"That's definitely him?" Elsa asked the empty air, straightening the mask which now sat very comfortably against her head.

"Should be," Olaf said into her ear. He had the advantage of watching the cop from numerous angles in the street, as he had managed to access the city's public CCTV system. "Kristoff Bjorgman. You were right, he's only been with the ACPD ten days. He graduated from the academy a month ago. He has a working class background and lives in the southern part of the Mountains, so he might be the guy to ask when it comes to helping them."

"Did you access the Police files?" She questioned, bemused by Olaf's detailed knowledge, He'd only been asked to track the officer down. "I told you not to hack them."

"No, no, Elsa, I'm on his Facebook," Olaf reassured. "I'm actually looking at his Hallowe'en photos. He was a really funky looking reindeer."

Elsa couldn't help but smile at Olaf's glee. Trust him to take this seriously. Then again, she was also listening to Bjorgman loudly bargaining with the dog to pee on a garbage bag for a treat. Perhaps seriousness had gone out the window for the evening, given Elsa was once again taking the mantle of the Arendelle Vigilante.

"Alright, I'm going down," She said, clicking on the small voice-changing gadget Pabbie had mysteriously had the foresight to fit into the mask. "How do I sound?"

"Like Darth Vader." Olaf honestly replied as she vaulted off the rooftop and onto the building's fire escape.

* * *

><p>Kristoff huffed in indignation as Sven, his canine police partner who could follow complex instructions to the letter, looked at him puzzled when he gave a pretty simple command. 'Make' was really a word the animal should understand from birth, but Sven was apparently ignorant of its meaning. Instead, he would gaze at the sky, then at Kristoff, and roll his eyes as if he knew something the officer did not.<p>

"Come on, buddy," Kristoff implored, aware he was meant to be on duty and cruising the evening streets rather than teaching a dog to use the great outdoors as a toilet. "How hard can it be? Really? You've done it in my living room, surely you can do it in the street!"

He covered his face with his hands in frustration, shivering as a cool breeze funnelled down the alleyway. Cursing the difference between what he expected of being a cop and the reality, Kristoff sighed heavily. He failed to notice his breathe leaving him in a great cloud since his eyes were now burrowed in the crook of his elbow.

When he joined the police academy, he had thought he would become one of those friendly public servants or, at a push, a television drama-level detective with a snappy catchphrase. But no. Apparently being a cop was all about mountains of paperwork his colleagues were too lazy to fill out, eating donuts and acting as a pet-sitter. Meanwhile, casts of crooks and criminals were roaming the streets untouched. It was almost like Mayor Weselton _wanted_ an absent police force. Had he even trained an animal to ignore the calls of nature to complicate a double shift unnecessarily? The only interesting case he had looked into recently was when he had briefly questioned that pretty Noble girl. Even then, he was too low ranking to actually do anything himself. He had to wait for the largest detective on the eastern seaboard to get off his flabby ass.

Sven started whining, drawing Kristoff away from his woes and back into focus on the issue. His hands felt surprisingly numb when he dropped them to his sides. The dog began quickly motioning up the back of the alleyway with his nose, barking occasionally.

Finally sensing that Seven was actually trying to tell him something, Kristoff turned to inspect the alley behind him. He had not expected to see a radiant blue woman staring back at him, surrounded by a thick, white layer of frost which sprouted along the walls.

They regarded each other awkwardly for a moment. Neither of them really knew what to do in this situation, although Kristoff believed he should rest one shivering hand on his holster just in case this went south. The glittery woman flexed her palms as well, although she had no visible weapon with which to fight him, if it came to that.

"Hello." The woman finally said in a voice which made Kristoff imagine a female counterpart to James Earl Jones. This was apparently a stupid thing say, as she shook her head to herself afterwards.

"Are you- are you the Vigilante?" Kristoff asked, trying to place details of this costumed crusader with all his briefing information. He doubted she was on her way to a costume party.

"Yes. Yeah, I suppose I must be." The Vigilante replied, again regretting her words.

"You don't sound very sure," He commented, studying the impenetrable mask and the very light hair colour with a critical eye. "Have we met before?"

"If I told you, I wouldn't be a very good Vigilante," She said, although she made an effort to hold his gaze before correcting herself. "No, we haven't met."

"Well, you've only appeared twice before, so you may not be that good," Kristoff pointed out. There was something familiar about the hair, he had definitely seen hair like that recently. "Do you- do you want something?"

When the news of the Arendelle Vigilante had been published, Kristoff had never thought he would personally meet the mad woman. Now that he had, he was disappointed to find the crime-fighting manner not nearly as intimidating as he thought it would be. She also seemed to recognise her inexperience, although the visible portions of her face did not betray the cover over her thoughts or emotions. If he was honest, Kristoff would list this among the strangest conversations he had ever had.

"Yes, there is," The Vigilante answered, trying to take more charge. "I want your help. Give me everything the police knows about a man called Facilier."

"Right. Why?" Kristoff was genuinely confused by what the Vigilante expected of this meeting. He was, after all, instructed to bring her in should the chance arise. This seemed like the perfect opportunity and he reminded her of that by lifting his gun out of the holster.

However, no sooner had he pulled it away from his belt was it torn from his fingers by a glacial force which the Vigilante had thrown his way. Kristoff paused when he realised that the reason the woman didn't carry a weapon was because she could produce _ice from her body_. Sven growled lowly at the woman, who looked just as surprised by what she had done. She managed to speak before Kristoff began the unavoidable question of 'what' and 'how'. Although she was thankful he appeared more intrigued than frightened.

"Because I want to catch this man, and I know you do too," She reasoned, folding her arms to symbolise she would not use the ice power on him. "If we work together, we can put him away. As you can see; I have the power to stop him, I only lack the knowledge and the authority."

Still partially caught up by his fascination with her abilities, Kristoff had to think over her request several times before he had fully processed the implications.

"You mean you want me to work with a wanted criminal, to catch another wanted criminal?" He incredulously asked. "Which, by extension, makes me a criminal?"

"I know it's a lot to ask, but it would be mutually beneficial," She implored, stepping towards him. "You would receive the credit for stopping him, and I will know people are safe from him."

"Sorry, you think I want the credit?" Kristoff was angered by this generalisation of his character. "I want to keep people are safe as well. But I didn't throw on a tight ski suit and put four people in the hospital last month, and I have a badge to say I _can_ put people in the hospital if I really need to do."

The Vigilante was about to argue back when a hazy voice cut over the quiet alley. Night had fallen by now, limiting how much Kristoff could see as he grappled with his uniform to find his radio.

"_All units, all units. An armed robbery is taking place at a pharmacy on west twentieth and nineteenth. Assistance required. Please respond."_

Gritting his teeth, Kristoff looked at the Vigilante directly in the eye as he clicked the response button which cut out the hushed static.

"Bjorgman on route, repeat; Bjorgman on route." He said loudly, before reattaching it to his belt and grabbing Sven's collar. "I'll let you go this time, but if I see you again I'm going to arrest you."

With that, he managed to drag the large dog with him back to the car and race off towards twentieth and nineteenth with his sirens blaring. The last he saw, the Vigilante had started climbing up the fire-escape of the building they had been stood beside.

* * *

><p>"That did not go to plan." Elsa dejectedly bemoaned as she ran across the rooftops and leaped some of the thinner gaps. When it came to a crossing she had to pause and form a slim bridge of ice to carry on in the same direction. By her calculations, even though she was slower than the police car if she could keep this pace up on a roughly straight path she would reach the crime before Bjorgman.<p>

"Did you have a plan for this deal?" Pabbie asked, having taken the microphone from Olaf while the younger man found street cameras outside the attacked pharmacy.

"No, I didn't!" She admitted, vaulting off an exterior ventilation shaft onto a taller neighbour building.

"You need to approach this like a business deal," Pabbie recommended, blissfully not gasping for air like Elsa was. "Show him you're just as serious and capable as he is. You're more than capable anyway, it shouldn't be too hard."

If she had counted correctly, Elsa had met Bjorgman at seventh between eleventh and twelfth, and had already reached twentieth and fourteenth. There were only five more blocks to cover. Down below, she heard the police sirens of a single police cruiser overtake her. Beyond this, she couldn't hear any other emergency vehicles. It appeared Kristoff Bjorgman was the only person to respond to the cry for help, which did not differ from her expectations at all.

"Elsa! I have a visual on the pharmacy!" Olaf interrupted, taking back the microphone for her earpiece. "There're two guys in brown trench coats, I think they only have revolvers but they're making off with the money."

Leaping over another alley, Elsa counted that she only had three blocks now. A stitch was beginning to burn in her side and her ribcage was aching from the exertion, although she did not let up.

"Kristoff's engaging them," Olaf reported. Not too far away, Elsa could see the red and blue lights stop moving as a tiny silhouette leapt out of the vehicle. Gunshots echoed down the roads. "Uh-oh! Kristoff hasn't got his gun!"

Remembering Bjorgman's weapon was lying in a block of ice a mile away, Elsa pushed herself even harder to reach the crime. His lack of weapon was her fault, and she would be damned if he came to any harm because of her.

Deciding she was too slow on foot, she jumped down the nearest fire-escape into an alley. Cracking her knuckles, Elsa unleashed a blast of snow onto the pavement and kicked off into the road as a slick layer of ice formed underfoot. A car was approaching from her right, which would take her in the direction of the pharmacy, so Elsa grabbed onto the rear bumper with one hand while she continued producing a cold track for her to travel on. Immediately she gained another ten miles an hour and when her ride slowed down at the next set of lights she propelled herself across using her own strength in conjunction with the power of the engine.

She managed to catch up with a turning biker, and using the same plan as before kept up the pace. The visored helmet twisted around to see her, but the flashing lights of Bjorgman's car were much nearer now. Dragging herself up the body of the bike, she grabbed the brake so that the source of her momentum would cease but she would be thrown forwards to the danger.

Whilst making this final crossing, Elsa counted up the gun blasts she had heard so far. There had been nine, and if Olaf was correct there would only be twelve bullets available. Evidently Bjorgman had managed to keep them busy whilst floundering for a weapon to fight back with.

Passing the police car, the situation became clearer. Bjorgman had been taking cover with the dog behind the trunk of the vehicle, periodically appearing over the top and pretending to take aim with a gun that wasn't really there. The thieves, in turn, had been firing on him but had ineptly failed to put any distance between them. Obviously their aim was much better in closer quarters and Bjorgman had made the same realisation about the capacity of their guns. He may have even intended for the echoing gunshots to summon back up. Elsa was the closest he was going to get.

In the second when one of the robbers fired his final bullet, she pushed herself into its path. The bullet collided with her suit and its force was absorbed quite harmlessly. Tucking herself into a shoulder roll, Elsa then set about reducing her speed whilst the thieves turned on her. She came to an eventual stop at the edge of the opposite pavement and wasted no time in turning to face her opponents.

Another bullet punched her upper arm, thankfully having travelled enough distance to prevent her feeling much pain. In return she covered the ground around her in frost, which one of the thieves slipped on. The other, who happened to be the only one with a loaded weapon, wasted his last shot on her stomach. This time, the impact was enough to wind her slightly. But Elsa stood tall and flung an icicle with far greater accuracy to cut through the outside of his thigh. He yelped at the flesh wound and fell over when he lifted his foot.

She ran across to meet the uninjured foe, who was busy regaining his feet. Kneeling at his side, Elsa snaked one arm between his shins and sharply drew back. He fell again, but this time Elsa landed an expert strike to his temple. It was unlikely he would be getting up for a while.

The remaining criminal was hobbling to his feet, and she was more than prepared to tackle him back as well but a smelly mass pounced from her. Bjorgman's dog knocked the thief back to the earth, almost consciously putting his weight on the long cut to keep the man subdued.

Then Bjorgman was on him, with a pair of handcuffs clicking as he recited the crook's rights.

Elsa panted, feeling her pulse pound in her head whilst the spots where the bullets struck her throbbed uncomfortably. Her breath came heavily and her fingers were shaking from what was possibly the most she had used her powers in years. A good few hundred metres had been covered with her snow in the last few minutes. Admittedly, she was completely exhausted by the use.

"You could have been shot." Bjorgman said, suddenly beside her and assisting her to standing.

"So could you." She retorted, feeling slightly queasy with an uncomfortable head rush.

More sirens ironically started resonating across the Mountains. It was only when the job was done did the Arendelle Police actually turn up.

Bjorgman's face was a portrait of confliction when he heard them. Elsa realised he could turn around and arrest her now if he so wished. The dog watched him with imploring eyes. There was also something in the sceptical features of the cop which hadn't shown in their earlier conversation. Solidarity? Trust? Belief?

"I'll work with you," He quietly agreed, looking around for anyone who might witness their friendly interaction. Thankfully the public had kept to a safe perimeter due to the errant gunfire. "What do you need and when?"

Spotting a new set of red-and-blue florescence ahead of them, Elsa pushed away from her new ally to find the nearest alley to hide escape through.

"I'll find you." She promised before she resumed her sprint towards the most convenient rooftop, leaving Bjorgman to wonder what he had gotten himself into.

* * *

><p><strong>So how was Kristoff's first appearance?<strong>

**Please review.**


	10. Chapter 9

**Sorry, this one took slightly longer than normal. It's only a day, but I can see this as the start of my routine slipping and soon this entire story could fall into sporadic updates. Yikes.**

**I feel like I should answer a few questions which have been posed to me in the reviews. Firstly, to JJ12; no. Anna isn't intended to be the Lois Lane, despite my misleading narrative. I couldn't think of any other reason why Elsa might take up the superhero mantle if it wasn't a result of threats to her family. Anna will be playing a more active role in chapters to come, because, let's face it, she's going to want to know who her saviour was. **

**Which leads me to my second answer. FrozenFanatic and a Guest have asked about Anna discovering Elsa is the Vigilante. Well, not to give the game away, but Anna probably won't be finding out for a long while yet.**

**Once again, a huge thanks for your continued support and readership. It means the world to me that you enjoy my horrible writing.**

**This chapter has a WARNING of drugs and possibly disturbing imagery (although I'm not that good, you'd really have to judge for yourself). **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

><p>In the early afternoon the following day, Anna wandered the long hallways of her childhood home with sleep-heavy feet and a loud yawn. After waiting most of the evening for Elsa to return from her meeting, the sisters had made a few preliminary arrangements for Prince Naveen's stay. These included the tidying of a dusty bedroom in the southern wing of the house, a plan of what he should do when he was not investigating the company, and, of the utmost importance to Anna, the organisation of the party for the last night of his visit. One hundred invitations, many of which had been listed by Elsa as board-members, investors or shareholders, had been emailed off at midnight. It was not long after that they had both retired to bed.<p>

When Gerda had eventually felt safe enough to wake them, Anna had automatically checked her inbox for responses from the few guests who weren't business associates. Pabbie, as expected, had replied in the affirmative (although he technically fell into both categories of invitee) and Anna was delighted to find a highly ecstatic response from Olaf. She had only met the strange little man once; shortly before her abduction, but he had introduced himself as someone she would like to know. Elsa always spoke about him with the highest fondness. Of Anna's own friends, there was as yet no reply. Although it was likely Hans would attend due to his input in the organisation of the party. The only other, the Nobles' cousin from Corona, was more of a wildcard in this respect.

Anna had always found that relative's subservience to a particularly nasty nanny unnerving, but hoped she would be able to come regardless. In all fairness there had only been two days' notice.

Among the responses Anna was not so happy with was a promised, near-unanimous attendance of Elsa's board of directors. It was difficult for Anna to imagine her sister putting up with those stuffy tycoons for most of the week at work, let alone in her home. Duke Weselton had also replied in the positive, with a disturbingly familiar assurance of practicing his dancing. Those groups alone made the young woman plan several escape routes through the mansion should she be caught in conversation with them.

Finally making it to the dining hall, Anna was unsurprised to find Elsa already finishing her brunch. What did surprise her, however, was her elder sister's obvious fatigue. Had Elsa slept a wink in the twelve intervening hours between when she went to her room and now? Was this a result of her exercise regime? Normally she was well rested and alert, instead of slouching on the table top with a far-off look in her eyes.

"Are you with me?" Anna asked teasingly as she took a seat to the blonde's left.

"Please don't engage me in complex conversation," Elsa sleepily drawled in response, resting her head in one hand. "Any questions requiring answers further than 'yes' or 'no' will not be appreciated."

"You could've just said 'no', then." The redhead replied, fully concerned by Elsa's tiredness. Then a maid brought the sisters cereal and coffee.

Like a shot, Elsa had poured as much of the hot drink into a mug as possible and drank it all in one. Anna could only watch in shock while she felt the scalding heat radiating through her own mug.

"Didn't that _burn_?" She puzzled, sipping at the cup and finding the coffee like lava against her lips.

Elsa clasped her eyes shut, shuddering as the slight pain she experienced diffused through her to a state of true consciousness. Taking the box of _Lucky Charms_, she managed to pile the wheat and marshmallow shapes high enough to exceed the rim on her bowl. As far as Anna could tell this was Elsa's second helping of breakfast, although the fruit bowl also looked uncharacteristically empty.

Watching Elsa stuff herself with morning foods managed to put the younger girl off her meal, partially from the sheer speed the blonde went through it. This behaviour was now beginning to really worry Anna and it was only when Elsa noticed the perturbed stare that she stopped flicking her spoon back to explain.

"Sorry, I haven't eaten much in the last few days and last night's… run left me starving." She quickly said, hesitating at the point she mentioned her outing. Anna got the distinct impression Elsa was lying.

"You went running?" Anna replied. She knew not to call her sister out on the false story. Although it hurt her that Elsa wouldn't share a trivial board meeting, she could respect that privacy may be paramount. It was possible last night's meeting concerned the break with the Westerguard Industries merger and _that _was something Anna didn't want to be caught in the middle of. Especially not when she had connections to both figureheads involved. "Weren't you at the company?"

Elsa's eyes widened, although she tried to mask this with a sip of coffee. The scalding drink hadn't hurt her previously, somehow, so Anna couldn't see a reason why it should now.

"Yeah, yes, I was," Elsa explained, rubbing the bridge of her nose with perpetually gloved fingers. "But Goddard and Jameson were running late, so I took the chance to go jogging. It's quite nice around the plaza, in the evening. Any news on the ball?"

In the years she had been left wandering the mansion, Anna failed to learn many of the cues of nervousness in other people. But she had always been able to see when Elsa didn't want to disclose certain information. By the look of it, the information Elsa was trying to hide _was_ linked to the meeting. And, as she had assumed, it only made sense it was a problem with Hans.

Anna had never entirely understood the unilateral animosity between Elsa and Hans. Mr and Mrs Westerguard had been quite friendly with their parents, so Hans was introduced to the girls at an early age. He had certainly always had a semi-presence in Anna's life, meaning it could only be expected Elsa knew him from maybe three-years-old. In all nineteen years of her life, Anna had never heard her sister mention her best friend in a favourable fashion. Hans, on the other hand, didn't seem to bear any similar grudges towards the blonde. This was only one of the many mysteries her sister represented.

"We've got about twenty coming so far," Anna counted in her head and indulging Elsa's deception for the meantime. She couldn't be hiding anything _that _big. "Given that's just this morning, I think we'll have a large turn out."

Elsa gave a less than enthusiastic hum at the idea of that many people entering her private retreat, although she was unable to voice her reservations as the doorbell chimed. The echoing tones sounded across the building to alert both residents and staff to a new arrival. This caught both women by surprise. It had been discussed before they went to sleep that Hans would be making an appearance around three, while it was currently only half-twelve. Unless Elsa had a package being delivered, Anna couldn't think of who would be paying the out of the way residence a visit.

They were not left in suspense long, as Tiana entered the room at a slow jog. Her appearance was impeccable as ever, even though she had spent the entire morning preparing the ingredients for every meal Prince Naveen would be having. The only feature to betray her hectic practice was perhaps her breathlessness as she reached the table. From her expression it could be seen that she did not appreciate her work being interrupted.

"Miss Noble," She said in that lyrical New Orleans accent, with only a reserved _huff_ of annoyance. "The CIA is here. Were you expecting them?"

Before Anna had barely had time to process this information, Elsa had snapped to her feet and was hurrying to the entrance hall. It hadn't occurred to either of them that were both still in their pyjamas. Of course, Elsa had chosen a set which would make her far more presentable for the coming conversation; a silk set with a thick dressing gown. However, Anna felt it would be best she stayed just behind the door seeing as all she had on was a tank top and loose flannel shorts.

Standing so that she could peek around the door, Anna found herself looking at a man who could quite possibly be the most intimidating man she had ever seen. He stood nearly a head taller than Elsa, although Oaken could have still dwarfed him. His suit was of an indiscriminate black which screamed authority but was equally capable of blending into a crowd without question. There was not a single hair on his head, and his face was pulled in such a stern face that Anna found it difficult to imagine this man could smile. The theme music of _Men In Black_ played in her head upon sight.

Elsa, even if she was aware of his daunting presence, did not show any sign of reluctance in meeting him. She held herself as she would in any other meeting; back straight, eyes level and cotton-covered fingers weaved together in front of her.

"Good morning, Agent…?" Elsa said, as if she hadn't been tired or ravenous not five minutes before.

"Bubbles. Cobra Bubbles." He replied in a voice that may have never laughed.

"Agent Bubbles. How may I be of service?" She asked, ears twitching when she heard Anna giggle in the background.

Drawing a sheet of paper from his inside pocket, Bubbles handed it to her as he stepped further into the hall.

"I have been informed that you will be hosting a European Royal, Miss Noble," He said commandingly. "Normally a diplomat of such high ranking would be housed in Washington, however since this is a business matter the government has chosen not to interfere with Prince Naveen's visit to Arendelle. Nevertheless, the CIA have a very keen interest in our relationship with Maldonia and I have been dispatched to ensure security is up to a specific standard so that no harm may come to the Prince. It has not gone unnoticed that another gifted individual has stolen the headlines in recent weeks."

From her spot, studying the scene through the crack between the double doors, Anna thought she saw Elsa pale slightly at the reference. She did not like how the Vigilante was mentioned as a criminal and she assumed that her sister also recognised that without the hero Anna would not be standing there. More news had come out on her Facebook newsfeed that the Vigilante had stopped a robbery and saved a police officer the night before. It seemed impossible this woman was a public menace.

"I am sure you can understand if I asked to have free reign for the next few hours to make sure there is no threat to the Prince." The way Bubbles made the request was obviously not a question, although there was no way Elsa could refuse anyway. She only had one complaint on the matter.

"Couldn't you have called ahead? Surely the CIA would have given me a chance to clean up first." Elsa asked, drawing attention briefly to her state of undress.

"Our Agents contacted your secretary at the Noble Corporation once we became aware of the arrangement," Bubbles explained, already studying the points of entry to the room. "He booked a date as late as possible, although this could be an inconvenience as Prince Naveen's flight is only four hours away."

Anna could have sworn she felt the temperature of the room lower dramatically at this elaboration. Although, having lived in this house all her life and experiencing chills of this kind periodically, she assumed it was only a bizarre draft. There wasn't any other realistic theory to account for the phenomenon.

Elsa looked indignant and angry, made notable to Anna by her statue-like stance in the perfect line of vision through the crack.

"Will I be required to stay for the security investigation?" She asked levelly, keeping her eyes fixed on where Anna supposed Bubbles was standing.

"Your presence is not necessary. As a public figure the FBI has been able to supply us with a background file. You are a low concern," Bubbles answered from somewhere towards the staircase. "Although I would like to interview your sister. It may not be surprising to hear the news of her collapse and its likely cause has reached us already."

Again, Anna was vaguely aware there was a dip in the summer heat. But this time she was far more focussed on the muddying of her name. Had the rumours already broken out that she had been drugged? Did people think she had willingly taken them? Anna felt a chill run down to her fingertips at the very thought. Not again.

"Well, I shall inform her of this presently," Elsa reluctantly agreed, sparing the door Anna was hiding behind a glance. "And then if you don't mind I think I have some business to attend to in the city."

* * *

><p>Roughly an hour later, Elsa stormed into the entrance hub of North Mount Station in a tired whirl of snow. After a quick dressing and succinct explanation to Anna, she had wasted no time in hurrying to the old facility on her father's motorbike. There wasn't anything official planned for the day, apart from receiving Prince Naveen when he arrived and finding out which idiot arranged the meeting with the CIA inside the company, so she had decided to retreat to the subterranean sanctuary to pass a few hours. While she could have gone anywhere in the city she had felt particularly irked by Bubbles casual mention of the FBI's file on her.<p>

The highly secretive organisations couldn't know about her powers, could they? It wasn't possible they were observing her all the time? They certainly didn't hold jurisdiction in Norway, nor had they had the presence during her childhood to find out. Elsa could only reason with herself that they had kept records on her qualifications and political leanings, which were ambivalent to say the least. All they probably cared about was whether she had a death wish for Naveen. No, it was unlikely they knew the truth. Not about her genetics or how she had been spending her evenings since her return.

Nevertheless, Elsa felt more secure once she had unlocked the bolted metal door at the end of the descending corridor. In here she could release the tension of her frozen fury slightly, kicking up a small blizzard in the breezeless space. These fluctuations in her powers were still playing on her mind. Twice during her conversation with Bubbles she had nearly slipped in panic or anger, and she could have sworn he noticed the temperature drop each time. There had to be some explanation for it. And where there was an explanation there was also, normally, a way to reverse it.

A surprised cough pulled her out of her reverie, and Elsa was shocked to find Olaf sat at his computer terminal, spluttering on the thick flakes which whirled around the room erratically. At will, she dropped the wind which carried the flurry. He blinked away what moisture clung to his eyelashes, his cheery smile returning amongst his splutters.

"What are you doing here?" Elsa asked once Olaf had regained his breath.

"Morning!" He cried, turning the majority of his attention back to the computer. While she only spared the screen a quick glance, Elsa quickly noticed that the monitor was brand new and the old, frozen tower had been replaced by a touchscreen desktop. "I'm just trying to install an earpiece app so me and Pabbie don't have to keep passing the microphone between us!"

Staring around the room, Elsa found almost all of the old appliances had been updated. Indeed, some of the furniture had been rearranged to make the space more functional as a Vigilante base. Needless to say, she was confused and concerned by how seriously her crime fighting companions took her campaign. It wasn't as if she planned on doing this permanently. Her aim was to catch Facilier, and then all of this nonsense would be left behind

Spotting what she should have seen automatically, Elsa trod through the freshly fallen snow to inspect the latest feature. While before the centre of the room had been left empty to allow swift passage to the deeper sections, the chamber was now dominated by a pedestal on which stood a mannequin. Worse still, the plastic feminine shape was clad in one of the other blue suits Pabbie had stowed away on the platforms and was completed by, peculiarly, a copy of the elongated domino mask. Evidently the old man had more than one of the disguise.

"What do you think?!" Olaf asked excitedly, rising from his chair and standing beside her in admiration.

"Wh- What is this?" Elsa questioned, caught completely off-guard by the unnecessary changes.

Olaf, mistaking Elsa's alarm for wonder, trotted hurriedly around the plastic figure to the opposite side of the room. All of the desks had been removed to allow enough space to get around the display, and in their place was an expanse of wall dedicated to the large, slim, wall-mounted screens normally reserved for laboratories and boardrooms at the Noble Corporation. He fiddled with the wires on the edge of the chain of screens briefly before flicking a switch and bringing them into life with stark colours.

Elsa was bombarded with a retina, wall-to-wall display of every fact Olaf had managed to dig up on Facilier; including a map of spots within the city he had been sighted at and the police photograph from his first arrest. All of the information was lost on Elsa, who was still coming to terms with the massive investment put into the dilapidated Research Facility.

"What do you think?!" Olaf repeated, even more enthusiastic given the reveal of his work.

"Olaf," Elsa said sternly, although still shocked. "What is all of this?"

The short man pulled a mildly confused expression at her concern, glancing at all the changes to the hub with an equal but different air of disbelief.

"It's your lair," He stated unsurely. "Your ice cave. Your Ice Palace!"

"No. No, Olaf," Elsa objected, feeling terrible for ruining his child-like excitement. "This is too much. I want this place low-key and ready to be abandoned again should anything go wrong. Now it looks like an arctic version of the Apple Store and anyone who stumbles in will know this is where the Vigilante is based. Where did you even _get _these?"

"He got them from me." The familiar, aged voice of Pabbie exclaimed from the rear corridor.

When Pabbie hobbled his way over to the duo, he looked almost deflated. His shoulders sagged and he didn't quite pick his feet up with each weary step. Additionally, there were heavy bags under his eyes, along with the overwhelming stench of black coffee. Even if Elsa had been a complete stranger she would be able to tell he had just pulled an all-nighter.

"Why?" Elsa questioned, suddenly overcome with her supposed mentor's near-supernatural knowledge. She had to know what he had been doing towards the entire endeavour. "Where did _you_ get this stuff?"

"While Goddard is bent on making cutbacks in research, he is more than happy to buy superfluous equipment. These computers have been sitting in the basement of the Noble Tower for the past year, so last night I thought I might liberate a few to aid Olaf," Pabbie reasonably explained, leaning against the wall at the end of one of the mighty displays and retrieving a flash drive from his waistcoat pocket. "And before you get scared about discovery, do not worry. No one ever checks our technology store and the equipment has technically not left company grounds."

"And where did you get the masks?"

Pabbie's tired face was drawn in an expression of misunderstanding. He honestly hadn't been expecting Elsa to ask about the accessories and was rather unsure of how to answer.

"From my house," He slowly revealed, although Elsa could swear she saw a glimmer of reluctance and mystery behind his eyes. "They've been sitting in a cupboard for the past decade."

"But why do they fit me so well?" Elsa was determined to try to break through. No matter how much logic or acceptance there was to Pabbie's answers, there was something going on and she wanted to know now.

Pabbie sighed, fatigue dripping from his voice as he tried to form a coherent sentence. "I just thought they would. They were your mother's, after all."

Elsa felt almost physically wounded by the mention of Idunn Noble in conjunction with her secret identity. Embarrassment dully simmered beneath the surface of her skin. It would make sense if those masks had belonged to her mother once upon a time. Many people had noted how Elsa was the reincarnation of Idunn whilst she was growing up and it would only stand to reason that the old masks would fit her, if only roughly.

"Are you alright, Elsa?" Pabbie asked when she failed to respond to his answer.

Swallowing her paranoia for the moment, Elsa gave an affirming nod.

"Good," Pabbie agreed hesitantly, before moving back to the wall-length analysis of Facilier. "Because I think I've figured out where we might find your target. I spent all night looking at forensic reports on Voodoo, and it may be that Facilier was behind your pharmacy robbery last night."

On the electronic map of Arendelle, a number of navy blue markers appeared across various streets. There were fourteen in total and they were all spread in an abstract semi-circle around the Mountains, into the leisure district and back around to the manufacturing parks where the Noble factories were based. An address appeared beside each marker, identifying every location as a pharmacy or somewhere prescriptions could be picked up.

"I asked Olaf to search for any similar reports since Facilier's first appearance, and we found that there have been randomly placed robberies around the city every night for the last fortnight," Pabbie explained, as a computer-generated image of what Elsa assumed was a Voodoo molecule appeared beside the map. "From all those scientific analyses of impure Voodoo, it would appear to me that it's made up of less common painkillers and benzodiazepines. A few versions of anxiolytic compounds were in there as well. Now, none of the medicines required to make pure Voodoo can be found in regular pharmacies, but I would assume this spike in crime is not a coincidence."

"So Facilier's been keeping his supplies steady, even though his products aren't as strong?" Elsa surmised, studying the information and the dealer's progression across the city. The path of robbery generally led in the same direction, pointing to one site in particular. "There's a Noble manufacturing plant on the edge of town. They make that kind of medication there. Do you think that's where he'll strike next?

"If not there, then somewhere in the general area," Pabbie concurred. "And even if he sends 'representatives' like last night, we can always follow them back to Facilier."

Elsa nodded thoughtfully. By tomorrow, she could have caught the scoundrel and put him behind bars. She felt a certain amount of satisfaction rise in her chest at the thought, knowing her pride once she had done so would be immense. Finally, she may be beginning to pay off some of her debt to Anna, after all those years of abandonment.

"Should we call that officer?" Olaf asked, having retreated to his desk.

"Bjorgman? No, not yet," Pabbie recommended. "We don't know how sincere he was about joining Elsa. I think we should only call him if and when we need something."

"Make sure we can contact him at a moment's notice," Elsa commanded, striding to the back corridor in search of a suitable room for practice. "If you need me, I'll be on platform nine, rehearsing my kicks."

* * *

><p>As evening drew in on the Noble Estate, Anna found herself awaiting the arrival of Prince Naveen surrounded by staff and in the company of Hans, but lonely without Elsa. She had no idea where her sister had rushed off to, but six hours later and there was still no sign of the athletic CEO making an appearance. The absence was actually beginning to both worry and aggravate the young redhead, who had fallen into the unlikely position of receiving a future King to her childhood home. This was not a role she had ever expected to be in.<p>

At the far end of the driveway, a long, black car smoothly inched its way along the gravel under an escort of police cars. No figures could be made out as of yet, but the expected guest was fast approaching.

"Are you as excited as I am?" Hans murmured from beside her, eyes fixed on the car but fidgeting with his shirt cuffs nonetheless.

He had really pulled out all the stops for his presentation, stood there in a slick ivory evening suit, complete with gloves and a sash. There was an old family rumour Anna had heard from one of his brothers that the Westerguards were descended from royalty themselves. She hadn't really listened to the tale of Germanic states and adultery and family trees (she was barely interested in her own heritage), but Hans liked to indulge himself in faux-royal materials. While he was a typical, rich, twenty-five-year-old bachelor, he was well versed in all the responsibilities of a royal. Sometimes Anna couldn't figure out how serious he was about some of his practices, but if it made him happy she couldn't see any harm in it.

When he had arrived earlier the afternoon, Hans had almost been denied access to Naveen by Cobra Bubbles, who had been very sceptical of his connection with the Noble household. After undergoing a gruelling interview much like Anna did, he had finally been cleared to spend time with the Prince without having to be watched by security. For a few moments he had looked almost frightened that he might miss out on a Maldonian meal.

"Maybe not quite." Anna replied, watching the sleek vehicle finally pull up outside the porch.

All was silent for a few seconds, apart from an impatient _cough_ from Tiana. She was eager to return to her cooking, having spent most of the day perfecting Maldonian cuisine. Gerda gave her a stern look to prompt her back into the quiet.

Then a door popped open and, after a bulky security guard stretched to his feet, the handsome face of Prince Naveen sprung from the confines of the car in an example of his reportedly boundless energy. He was somewhere between Elsa and Hans in terms of age, but his tan face had all the experience of a thirty-year-old while his grin was boyish and rebellious. His regal uniform was also far grander than anything Hans could have worn; imbued with gold and white and green which shimmered in the lowering sun. Those brown eyes twinkled with merriment, and he at once was the perfect paradox between adult freedom and Kingly duty, Although one was obviously more dominant.

"Prince Naveen, how wonderful to meet you." Anna said, trying to imagine what Elsa might do if she were here. Her disappearance continued to plague Anna as she offered her hand.

"'Ello!" Naveen replied, gripping Anna's hand and shaking it warmly before doing the same to Hans. "Et es wonderful to be 'ere. You are Elsa, no?"

"Oh! No, I'm just her sister, Anna." She humbly introduced, at once embarrassed by the mix up. "Elsa… has unfortunately had to attend some business."

"Zhere es no 'just' about you, Anna," Naveen was very quick to up her spirits again in spite of his surprise. Behind him his bodyguards collected his suitcases, of which there were many. "My thanks for 'osting me. I 'ave been told you were not aware I was coming until late. Allow me to apologise for zhe imposition."

"No, don't worry," Anna assured, flexing her fingers nervously. "There's more than enough room. You'll have you own wing and everything."

"Marvellous! Marvellous!" He cried, following Anna and Hans into the hallway with the staff filtering in behind them. The bodyguards were immediately led to the Prince's quarters whilst their master was enraptured by the classical architecture and antique decoration, with a polished harp in the far corner of the room grabbing his attention. "Do you play?"

It seemed almost as if Naveen was as clueless to the proceedings as Anna was. Hans hung like a phantom near them, watching Naveen's every action like a teenage girl might watch a boyband. Several words sat on the edge of his tongue, but none could make themselves dominant over all the other questions.

"No, it was my grandmother's, actually," Anna answered, watching the Prince pluck a few strings in a well-practiced manner. "I'm none very musical. I think Elsa used to play some piano. Can you play?"

"I am more fond of ze guitar. I am en love with your Jazz culture," Naveen denied, although his skills said otherwise. "My brother es being tutored on ze harp. He would love to visit this place."

"Maybe one day he can." Anna offered, at once regretting her words when she thought of Elsa. But, then again Elsa hadn't shown up to welcome _this _guest and left Anna in an awkward position. Was it possible Naveen had heard about her collapse the day before? Did he believe the rumours?

Thankfully, Tiana appeared at her elbow at the moment, patiently waiting for her moment to interject. She looked at the Prince disinterestedly. When he noticed her, it was nowhere near the same reaction. Anna felt it as pretty safe to Tiana had piqued Naveen's interest, by the way he suddenly stood tall and put on what was obviously a rehearsed, sly smile. It was almost embarrassing to witness, as when the chef glanced at him she rolled her eyes and decided to address her words to Anna instead.

"Miss Noble, dinner is ready to be served if it pleases you." Tiana said, holding her professional at-attention stance.

In response, Anna's stomach growled almost angrily. After Bubbles had arrived there had been no chance for her to have lunch or sneak a bar of chocolate under the stress of the inspection. Now would be the absolute perfect time for one of Tiana's lavish meals.

"I could definitely eat. Are you hungry?" Anna asked, looking back to Hans and the Prince before hesitantly adding. "Your majesty."

"I could eat. What es zhere?" Naveen agreed, keeping his eyes on Tiana with those intent flirtatious eyes

"Tonight, I am serving a Maldonian Roast of Pork with a Mediterranean salad and a bottle of Bordeaux '59 red," Tiana quickly recounted, itching to return to her kitchen. "For dessert, I have prepared honeyed beignets."

"Zat es nice," He reluctantly replied, diverting his eyes as his confidence left him momentarily. "But I was 'oping zhere might be a pizza? Personally, well, I 'ave never liked the food of my country."

To say Tiana looked like she had just been slapped was an understatement. Her mouth fell agape at his words. Never had someone refused her efforts so casually, nor outright insulted the food she had made without so much as tasting it. She gasped slightly, and with a small nod from Anna, she marched away while stewing in anger

Anna herself was caught by surprise at Naveen's disregard of the dishes Tiana had spent the last two days tirelessly researching and perfecting the complex sauces which made Maldonia distinct from other European foods. The man may be charming on the outside, but he was, perhaps stereotypically, as rude as the old moneyed were thought to be. At the very least, he could have stomached the food he didn't like and order a pizza tomorrow; just to be diplomatic.

Hans, however, thought differently.

"Your majesty, I know a great pizza place that does deliveries," He finally spoke to the Prince, ignorant of the insult in his admiring stupor. "I'll get a selection, if you want?"

"My friend!" Naveen laughed, shaking his hand again. "Wonderful! Allow me to go change, zhen I want to 'ear all about life in Arendelle!"

Anna groaned internally, again wondering just where Elsa could be that was more important than her meeting with the Prince of Maldonia.

* * *

><p>At the exact same moment Naveen was settling into his stay at the Noble Estate, Elsa raced along the deserted roads in the industrial wastelands on the roaring motorbike. Her suit sparkled in the dying light, although no one was present to spot her shimmering form as she sped across the grey business parks and mostly abandoned area to her destination. In the middle distance the Noble Manufacturing Plant loomed into being. It had closed for the day, but the gates were still wide open to allow for the last few deliveries. But only one truck sat in the loading bay and she knew these people weren't employed by the Corporation.<p>

Weaving the vintage bike off of the road and onto the cracked pavement, Elsa pulled to a halt once she was far away enough to hide the engine's chugging but close enough to close the distance before they could get away. She hid the bike under a nearby pile of tarpaulin before jogging on through the warm evening air.

"_Elsa, Anna's called you three times!"_ Olaf unhelpfully reported through her earpiece. _"Should I send her a text or something?"_

Cursing under her breath, Elsa stopped on the corner just outside the barbed fences. She didn't have a watch on her, but it was more than obvious she had missed her guests arrival and Anna, who she had even notified, was left to entertain royalty. It really hadn't been her intention, but once Olaf had found a group of masked robbers pulling into the factory loading bay there really hadn't been another choice if she wanted to stop Facilier. The after-work traffic had already resorted her to a long detour to avoid detection, so it was only luck that the trespassers hadn't escaped yet. Evidently they were taking a copious amount of medicine.

"Use my phone, tell her I'm stuck in another meeting," Elsa ordered, rushing across the exposed space and the parking lot of the factory. "Make sure to complain about Goddard. How many people are in there?"

There was a brief pause as Olaf divided his attention between typing out a convincing message from '_Elsa_' and counting all of the robbers across the various screens. In this time Elsa had managed to unlock the door using her master key and slip inside the mopped lobby. Unfortunately, there was still a janitor wiping down the surfaces of the reception desk.

Thinking quickly, Elsa clicked on her voice distorting gadget inside her mask before throwing a small icicle past the cleaner. He jumped upon realising he was not alone, and gave a sharp yell when he spotted the radiant blue Vigilante.

"Get out. Now!" She urged.

He didn't need to be told twice. The mop clattered to the damp floor as the door burst open and shut in the space a second. It did not go unnoticed that he had pulled out his cell phone once he was beyond the door. In maybe quarter of an hour the police would be here. If they thought this journey worthwhile.

"_Eight!"_ Olaf finally supplied. "_They're all in the warehouse! Hang on… Elsa! Facilier is with them!"_

Without another word she broke into a sprint down the long halls. If she could get to him now and neutralise him, then she could go back to her life of business. The silliness of running around in a costume could be over. Of course, there wasn't anything to stop her from returning to duty in the future. Should an immensely dangerous man such as Facilier ever appear in Arendelle again there would certainly be a Vigilante reputation to contend with. For now, however, Elsa would just focus on beating down a known drug dealer. Deliberations on her role in the city could be left for later.

Finding the entrance to the production lines, she continued pelting her way across the building. Each footstep landed silently on the cushioned soles but let a frosted print behind it. Ice begin to spread on the metal rails and machinery in her path; a factor which may soon announce her presence to her foes. That didn't matter though. She could call on a blizzard if she needed to.

"_Elsa,"_ Pabbie firmly said into her ear. "_Do not fly into a confrontation. Make sure to check your surroundings. You do not want to _hurt_ anyone_."

The awful thing was that Elsa _did_ want to hurt Facilier. She wanted to freeze him solid for what he tried to do. Even more so when considering that Anna hadn't even been a specific target. Her sister had just been a random victim on the street, just as anyone could be. That evil man had to be punished.

"_There's a goon coming from your left_." Olaf informed her suddenly.

There was a hint of a Mardi Gras mask between the structures of the machines. He was close, so Elsa grabbed onto the nearest pipe and swung herself around the corner. She slammed both feet into his chest, sending the bulky man rolling onto his back with short breath. Without stopping to think, Elsa leapt to straddle his chest before pressing her elbow into a specific point on his throat. The man struggled for a few moments, then his eyes slid back and he was unconscious. One down, seven and Facilier to go.

"Where's the next one?" Elsa asked, keeping her eyes on the open alleys of cold metal.

"_The rest are all in the loading bay! They're trying to get a few crates into their truck! Two lefts and the third right!"_

Acting on autopilot, Elsa closed the distance. The hoarfrost which grew around her crackled with every step, engulfing the factory in snow and wind. In just half an hour, she could be out of here with one Dr Facilier left behind. It took all her will not to fidget and look intimidating for her confrontation. Probably not even half an hour. Twenty minutes, maybe. Fifteen is she called down an arctic storm. She wasn't sure whether she could do that, but now would be a nice time to find out.

She heard the laughter before she spotted them. There was fewer than Olaf had counted; barely enough to shift the heavy wooden boxes across the small gap into the truck. They all wore stylised masks in the form of colourful skulls, except for Elsa's main target who stood above them all supervising. His face was covered with a simple bone-shaded half mask which gave her the impression of a savage wearing its victim. He was as tall and spindly as she had been led to believe, leaning on a black-and-purple cane with one hand resting in his inside coat pocket. Surely he couldn't be that hard to take down.

Determined to get the job done, Elsa made no secret of her presence as she flung three icicles at the closest thief. This would be when she found justice for Anna. Justice for everyone hurt by Facilier and his Voodoo.

Her target's cries of pain called everyone to face her. A few of them looked agape at the thought the Arendelle Vigilante was real. Others chortled to themselves at the ridiculous get up, about which they made lewd comments with no subtlety. Facilier, on the other hand, was slyly grinning at her.

"Ah-ha! The famed Ice Woman of the north!" He cried in that richly menacing man. "I was wondering if you'd join us!"

"You hurt my friend." She said lowly, forming a set of razor-sharp ice shafts in her hands to punctuate her position.

Facilier failed to feel threatened, instead deciding to mock her.

"Oh? Oh! I'm so sorry, little lady," He chided, pretending to be the gentleman he was far from being. "Was one of them your friend? Was it the old man I got on Saturday? Or that young mother last week?" He gasped dramatically, taking an unwise step in her direction. "It wasn't that dear redhead from last night, was it? She was so talkative, so… so wonderful a test subject. She thought she could fool me and make fun of me. Sadly she had to be taught otherwise."

A flash of white went through his hat, as ice _clinked _on the cement floor. Elsa could barely hang onto her reason as the glacier pressure pushed down on her shoulders. She gritted her teeth and threw another icicle at the lackey who reached for a badly concealed gun. Facilier himself motioned them all back as well.

"Stop now, and I may go easy on you." She warned, a short barricade forming around the area to enclose them.

"You think you'll beat me up? A girl in jumpsuit? Pathetic." Facilier poked, taking another step. "I've checked the cards. You'll be on the floor in less than two minutes, contorting like that little idiot yesterday."

Elsa swung a fist at Facilier's face, aiming to break his nose and cheekbones in that single swipe. If she had made contact it would have caused a hairline fracture across his skull, both real and fake. But she missed. In the knick of time, Facilier leant back and then came back with a little canister. He sprayed once in Elsa's face. Then she started choking.

The misty spray tasted bitter, and it dried her throat dangerously as if all the moisture in her body disappeared in a second. She could feel it enter her bloodstream as a stinging poison, burning every fibre of her being against the swirling cold which burst forth in an uncontrolled blast which caught her foes by surprise. Snow covered everyone present, with a powerful wind pushing all away from her. Ice flew all around, making her form invisible within the cloud.

"Now, you fools! Move now!" Facilier yelled over the sudden blizzard.

Beyond the tropical sweating and ringing in her ears, Elsa heard the crate finally slam into the back of the truck. Then her enemies started escaping.

"Welcome to my world, girl!" Facilier called to her as he started towards the cab of the vehicle.

Determination faltering, Elsa aimed her hand at the fleeing form of Facilier. She could have hit him _and form that desperately needed cushion for Anna to land on. _

_Her sister leapt across the snowy pillars with all the power her tiny legs could muster. Regardless of her size, Anna was climbing ever higher into the roof of the ballroom And how was she being propelled to such heights? By the hand of her older sister, who stood on the slippery floor as she tried to keep up with the toddler. _

"_Anna! Slow down!" She innocently called, growing concerned as the size of the columns grew more and more. No matter how she tried to keep up, Elsa just couldn't produce the frozen forces fast enough. _

"_Catch me!" Anna yelled innocently, hopping from a height of ten metres with no next step in sight. _

_Elsa pulled a small amount of snowflakes into being, ready to make another tower grow from the floor. She lifted one foot to steady herself, but then fate took another path. The child felt herself slip on the moist ground, tumbling to the shiny surface and losing the hold on her powers. Those growing snowflakes launched themselves through the air on a trajectory. _

_A trajectory which led them directly into Anna's head. _

_The redheaded toddler groaned at the impact, but fell silent as gravity took hold. She landed in a snowy drift. But she didn't move when Elsa called her name and raced to her side. _

"_Anna? Anna! Wake up!" Elsa shrieked, shaking the small girl's shoulders, feeling her cold forehead. "Anna? Please!"_

_There was something her mother had taught her recently. Something to make sure a person was healthy or not. Placing two fingers under Anna's jawbone, Elsa shakily searched for the throb of life. Any movement. Even a twitch. _

_But try as she might, there was nothing to be found. Ice had already begun to spread across Anna's face, eating into her fair, freckled skin without relent until she was only a translucent shape lying on her back. A small mist escaped her parted blue lips, but that was it. Her baby sister was dead._

"_Anna! No!" Elsa sobbed, _releasing every last drop of energy from her overheating body into the sharp air of the warehouse.

The lorry had already left by the time Elsa fell into convulsions. Olaf and Pabbie could only bellow through her earpiece to keep her awake.

* * *

><p>Outside the building, a police cruiser pulled to a<em> screeching<em> halt before its driver and his dog leapt into action. The call had been made fifteen minutes ago, and not a single second had been wasted in accepting the emergency assignment. A few colleagues had to be talked down from investigating, but that hadn't been too difficult.

Gun at the ready, Kristoff barged his way into the lobby. This was the spot the Vigilante had last been seen at, according to the jabbering janitor. The employee had promptly called for the authorities to reach the area before evacuating. He had even had the cheek to ask about the reward money. However, an arrest would have to be made before any dollars could be shared. And none of them had realised where the Vigilante went there was probably also a crime. That was what a Vigilante chased, after all.

There were visible signs of a fight having taken place. A small damp patch had been left on one wall, where the reported weapon had been placed and there was a glittering trail of frost leading deeper into the building.

It was at this that Sven quickly grew distressed, as he sniffed at the unnatural symptom of extreme weather and started pointing with his snout in the same direction.

"What is it, boy?" Kristoff encouraged, following the Labrador when he shot off down the halls in pursuit.

Kristoff lost his footing a few times as he tried to keep up with Sven, although it wasn't too difficult a path to follow. The frost ran pretty much uninterrupted from the front door to the manufacturing lines. Here, the room was packed with snow and ice and wind as if he had stepped through the wardrobe into the White Witch's domain. Sven trotted through the slush unhindered, but Kristoff found himself nearly immobilised by the bizarrely frigid conditions. What had exactly happened here? Was all this down to the Vigilante?

A distorted scream echoed through the winter wonderland. At once, Sven shot off through the stone cold warehouse to the source of the cry. Kristoff did his best to follow, but was stuck by the depth of the snow which had formed and continued to form around his knees.

Once he had finally caught up with his canine partner, he drew his gun up to shoulder level should an attacker suddenly lunge at him. Instead, he was shocked to the find the Vigilante shaking rapidly on the floor. Her arms did not move in accordance with her will and her skin was slick with sweat which shone for the overhead light. Sven was whining at her side, encouraging her to move as much as she could. She whimpered in return at his every touch and looked astounded that the dog was actually there.

"Oh my God…" Kristoff trailed off, frozen in place by his own surprise rather than the Vigilante's creations.

At the sound of his voice, the Vigilante twisted herself around to look at him with desperate eyes. She gasped, then tried to drag herself towards him before reaching out when her strength failed her.

"Bjorgman… Kristoff… Please…" She tried to say, her arm twitching erratically. "Help me."

As if to remind him she was an actual person rather than a costumed crime-fighter, she unsteadily grappled with her mask. When she finally managed to pull the constricting article off, his jaw practically fell to the floor..

"What do you need?" He asked, at once kneeling at her side to lift her. "A doctor? Is there someone who can help you?"

"Take me… to North Mount… Station…" Elsa Noble painfully pleaded, slipping towards unconsciousness, but not before she could whisper: "Anna."

* * *

><p><strong>So, Kristoff's in the know. What next? <strong>

**Please review.**


	11. Chapter 10

**Hello all, and welcome to another instalment of Elsa's story!**

**If I may direct your attention to the cover image, you may notice that we have a brand-spanking new illustration of our protagonists to head the tale. The thanks for this must go to Masterfile92, who has so wonderfully captured my vision for the costume. I may or may not have been admiring the picture for the last few days and I think the artist deserves a round of applause (although this would be very hard to coordinate). **

**Also, to answer AnacToria Sky; this story is definitively not Elsanna. I'm not adverse to the ship, I just don't think it works in this setting. In the future I may write another story more along those lines but for now we're going to be heading into Hanna territory. And, yes; to the most logical point this story **_**is **_**following the actual plot, however some parts may be rearranged and reworked to fit into the story. Hopefully this clears up a few things.**

**As always, a huge thank you to the followers, favourites and reviewers. I'm glad you're all enjoying this superhero allegory. **

**Hope enjoy this chapter! Happy reading.**

* * *

><p>Kristoff sat in the driver's seat of his police cruiser at an intersection of the edge of the Mountains. To his left was the dingy, poorly lit North Mount Street down which the abandoned station could be found. If he went on, straight ahead, the road would take him to the Police Station. The path to his left would take him down the fluorescent boulevards in the direction of the hospital, a journey which would take much longer than his other two potential destinations. This decision, for anyone else, could be made in an instant. Follow the law, find aid or listen to his moral compassion.<p>

Beside him, Sven whimpered loudly. The bulky Labrador repeatedly tried to stand up in his set to dutifully watch the pained figure lying across the back seat. When he failed in this manoeuvre, he would turn to Kristoff and nudge his partner with his snout as if to urge the right choice. What that choice was could not be communicated, leaving the same problem unanswered. If Sven had spoken right then, Kristoff wouldn't have thought it strange. He would have appreciated the input, especially as he spent most of his day pretending to have a conversation with the canine anyway.

The light flashed to green overhead, and almost instinctively Kristoff pulled off to head back to the Police Station. Yes. This was the right thing to do. The Vigilante was a criminal. A wanted criminal, no less. He had joined the police force to stop dangers to the public and that included bringing in potentially deadly individuals. So the only natural and acceptable thing for him to do would be to turn over the woman to the authorities.

But then Elsa Noble groaned in intolerable pain. This was no nameless vigilante. This was a woman who had acted to protect her sister in the only way left to her. A woman who put herself in this position to try to save the streets from a wave of drug crime. The woman who ran the company responsible for a large proportion of investment in the city. Without the presence of Elsa Noble the situation would be far worse. She was protecting the people, which was a rare sight for Kristoff. Even in his line of work he was yet to see dedication like that.

There was also the personal factor Kristoff felt must be addressed. Two nights ago, the Vigilante or Elsa Noble, as she was properly known, had gone out of her way to save him. In the confrontation with those pharmacy thieves his backup had been almost reluctant to show themselves. He hadn't had a weapon handy, and those criminals had nearly shot him. Might have even managed it until Elsa had swung in and caught the bullet with her own body. And he had _promised_ to help her.

He glanced towards Sven, who observed him intently as if able to see his inner thoughts. Then he took a sharp left at the next junction and doubled back on himself to enter the maze of the Mountains.

"Alright, Bud," Kristoff said to the dog. "This doesn't leave us. We could be arrested for this."

Sven, unsurprisingly, did not say anything. However, feeling there needed to be some form of verbal agreement Kristoff did his best impression of Scooby-Doo to say; "Rohkay!"

When he pulled up to the curb outside North Mount Station, Kristoff was partially surprised to see the wooden boards had been removed with the old metal gate unlocked. Since Elsa had whispered the name he had expected to see it in use, but wondered why no one had addressed what would appear to be vandalism. It was not, however, something he would be bringing up with his colleagues anytime soon. The descending tunnel opened like the last gate into mystery and once down there, Kristoff could not ignore what he saw. A chasm would open between his professional service to the laws of the state and the secret world of vigilante justice. Could he keep his loyalties divided? Where would his loyalties lie in the end?

A nudge from Sven's nose and an agonized gasp from Elsa Noble brought Kristoff back to reality. There wasn't a choice in the end. The only objective that mattered was getting the poisoned woman to safety.

Leaping from the car with Sven close behind him, he lifted Elsa carefully after quickly slipping his standard issue jacket around her shiny suit. When he checked her pulse he found it steady, even if her skin was slick with sweat and grime despite having relatively the same body temperature as a refrigerated glass of water. She was far heavier than he had expected, and her twitching did not help him keep a firm hold of her. It seemed the physical contact disturbed her, even if she was unconscious. A few times he thought she was even trying to push him away.

But Kristoff managed to get her down into the tunnel without anyone noticing the suspicious behaviour. Sven trotted along at his side, nose held to the floor as he identified and followed certain scents. The darkness twisted around them to the point nothing could be seen directly in their path, and the human couldn't reach for his torch quite so easily due to his disturbed, unconscious charge. He only had Sven's sense of smell to keep him on course, although this didn't stop him from bumping into the walls occasionally.

Eventually, the pair found the large, dimly illuminated metal door which blocked their path into the subway station. _Noble Corps Research Facility, Keep Out_ was printed in blue on silver, letting Kristoff know he had come to the right place. Then again, it wasn't as if North Mount Station's corridors could lead anywhere else. This had to be where Elsa wanted to be taken. The only problem was the door had obviously been locked. There was no foreseeable way in.

"What now?" He asked Sven, gripping tighter when Elsa squirmed at a particularly horrible vision which made her mumble her sister's name. "Do I knock?"

Without warning, Sven began barking madly. He scratched up the door, claws clattering against the metal and making such a ruckus that Kristoff winced from the noise. Elsa also became more alarmed at the canine wailing, stirring more violently like she thought she was under attack. She lightly slapped Kristoff, most likely without being aware she was doing it, and threw a cloud of fog which condenses into a small patch of ice on the wall.

When she did this, Kristoff stopped focussing on the door to inspect the damp grey spot hanging among the tiles. He had been told by officers who had investigated the first two appearances of the Vigilante that the woman supposedly used experimental technology to produce ice. In his encounter with her the night before, there hadn't been a chance to explore this at any point. But now, he was fairly certain technology did not factor into her abilities. Despite his scepticism, it looked frighteningly like Elsa had produced that ice from her _hand_.

Before he could question this further a mighty _clunk_ reverberated from the metal door. Sven immediately quieted in satisfaction and sat beside Kristoff with a curious expression at the huge slab swung inwards.

Neither officers expected a pair of rather short men to be stood on the other side, both their faces pale and apprehensive. Then the older one, who had a strangely weathered look to his skin, spotted Elsa's quivering form.

"You brought her back?" He asked, surprise evident in his voice.

Whilst Kristoff fumbled for an answer, the old man checked Elsa's pulse. He completely ignored a partially incoherent sarcastic response from the cop as he made the most basic of examinations to gain a brief understanding of the situation.

"Olaf!" The old man yelled unnecessarily for the confined distance. "Get a bed ready in the lab and find one of those IVs I brought down! Mr Bjorgman! Follow me!"

Caught unaware by this medical expertise, Kristoff obediently followed the tiny old man through the retrofitted entrance hub. Only briefly could he examine the wall-mounted displays (all showing an interactive map of Facilier's traits and tendencies), the snow covered floor (which made hurried steps difficult) and the floor-to-ceiling shrine of an identical blue suit. Then he was being led through the equally hastily refurbished platforms.

After passing through the cold corridors at a slow jog, Elsa was eventually laid down on a medical cot beside an isolated laboratory housed inside a train car. She continued to twitch, emitting small sobs of pain each time. Kristoff was pushed back by the old man and Olaf, who busied themselves in rolling up her sleeves and making a few injections. From what Kristoff could tell, an IV was placed and a muscle relaxant was administered as she settled down quickly after that. A blood sample was also taken as a matter of urgency, and carried through into the small lab. Her breathing steadied as the fluid was fed directly into her blood stream and it seemed as if her chilling fever had broken as Olaf mopped her brow with a cloth.

Whilst all this happened, Kristoff found himself at a loose end. It seemed Sven had tuned himself into the situation more than his owner had, waiting quite patiently in the corner. Several minutes passed in busy silence. In that time, none of the lawbreakers paid any attention to them. The cop could have been changing his mind on the matter and call in reinforcements at any moment. Although it seems they all understood that this was a secret which would not go further than these subterranean walls.

Eventually the short men stopped their most likely unlicensed medical actions, leaving Elsa to rest as they silently deliberated over who would explain the entire operation to the newcomer.

"Kristoff, was it?" The old man introduced, offering a deceptively large hand which the officer reluctantly shook. "Dr Ernest Pabbie. Thank you for bringing her back here. I understand you could easily have chosen to turn her in to the police."

"Yeah. I nearly took her to the precinct." He shamefully admitted, casting his eyes way under the stern gaze of a man he didn't even know.

"I appreciate that you did not," Pabbie replied, stepping back to take Elsa's pulse again. "I take it you will want to know what we're doing down here?"

"Er- Well, yeah," Kristoff truthfully answered, feeling out of his depth. He was marginally embarrassed that he had been trained to interrogate suspects but was at the mercy of people he _should_ be arresting. "Since when has Elsa Noble, who is famously reclusive and is rarely sighted in public, been a ninja?"

"Since, like, always!" Olaf replied matter-of-factly. "In university, she used to sneak through the flat with no one noticing! Food would go missing and, nine times out of ten, it was in Elsa's room!"

Pabbie gave Olaf a silencing stare, although Kristoff couldn't figure out how this revealed any more information about the Vigilante. Were her skills always being geared towards crime fighting? Was it just a happy accident? Did she really just fall into being a hero at that mall?

"And the ice?" Kristoff pressed further. The ice was something he felt should definitely be addressed.

Pabbie paused, eye's held over Elsa's still form. He cleared his throat a few times before returning his attention to Kristoff. His hands clenched and unclenched the air, as if he was trying to physically hold onto the words with which he would explain her unique biology. To Kristoff, it looked almost like he was debating whether he should answer the question.

"The ice is an ability Elsa was born with. She's always had it. It was part of why she became, as you put it, a 'ninja'," Pabbie elaborated, disapproving of the label on Elsa's skills. "It is also why she is a recluse. Other than this, I don't think it's my place to tell you anything. All I can say is that she would never willingly hurt someone with it."

"Except everyone she's impaled with an icicle." Kristoff pointed out, well aware of the injuries she had caused the kidnappers at the Noble Tower and the close calls with frostbite she had dealt out to others.

"Every one of those people were either a danger to her family, which the police were very reluctant to combat themselves," Pabbie coldly countered, making a point of placing himself between Elsa and the embodiment of law. "Or they were people_ you_ yourself were going to shoot. I daresay an icicle does less damage than a bullet when one knows what they're doing with it."

Kristoff fell back into the quiet at this argument. To be honest, he saw that there wasn't much difference between what he did for a living and what Elsa was doing for no thanks at all. The only thing dividing them in a legal sense was that Kristoff had attended an Academy where he received numerous licenses at the end of his studies. Morally, they were on par. Neither had killed anyone, and they ultimately left their opponents to the judgement of the law.

"What will happen to her now?" Olaf asked from the opposite side of the bed, eyes intently watching Elsa's serene, unmoving face.

Returning to his medical role, Pabbie took her pulse once more, tapped the IV drip and opened one eye to check her pupil response. Apparently satisfied, he dived into the lab and came back with a new syringe.

"She's returned to homeostasis, as far as I can tell," Pabbie reasoned, locating a vein for the injection. "Judging by how quickly Anna recovered from her drugging, I think it's safe to bring her around."

For the first few moments after he emptied the syringe there was no movement. Then there was a small _crackle_ of ice on the metal railings and Elsa stirred slightly. Again, all she said was her sister's name but the tone was much happier. A single tear slid from the corner of her eye. The ice spreading across the bed was smooth, intricate and beautiful. She looked almost peaceful. It was hard to imagine she had been poisoned within the last two hours But then she winced when her eyes opened and her hands shot up to cover her face.

"Oh my God," She groaned into her palms, stretching her legs and arching her back on the bed. "What happened?"

The way she moved made it look like all her joints had been wounded, and the ice began to crack and splinter as her memories returned to her.

"Facilier!" She shouted, trying to shoot to her feet but finding she was restrained by plastic pipe feeding a cocktail of required minerals into her blood. Despite her best efforts, once Elsa was standing she lost balance.

Luckily Kristoff swooped past the tiny form of Pabbie to stop her from falling to the cold floor. Elsa, though still largely oblivious to her surroundings, made a point to push herself up from Kristoff's support using her elbows rather than her hands. She blinked several times to make the world look less fuzzy, then she stared at Kristoff's face in horror.

"No. You're not meant to be down here," Elsa huffed in fear, falling back against the cot and spotting Olaf and Pabbie. "What is _he_ doing down here?" She felt her face for her mask. "Oh God."

"Elsa, calm down!" Olaf urged, pulling her arm to his chest in comfort, as well as keeping her anchored. "Kristoff brought you back here!"

"Why?" She breathed, disbelievingly.

"Because you asked me to?" Kristoff answered and asked, doing his best to jog her memory. "You were in a really bad state when I found you. You pretty much froze an entire factory."

These words did nothing to relieve Elsa. Indeed, they only made her recall the events of her encounter with Facilier and the lucid dream she had experienced whilst under the influence of Voodoo. She gasped sharply, breaking away from Olaf to lean over the bed. For a few seconds, everyone thought she was going to throw up at the realisation, but instead she only felt in necessary to sit down to stop her dizziness.

Pabbie gave Kristoff an admonishing look before kneeling beside the frightened woman. It was obvious that she was in a state of panic over her failure, not to mention that an unidentified fear was gripping her without relent.

"Wh- where's Anna?" Elsa asked, breathing shallowly.

"At the mansion. She's fine, why?" Olaf gently replied, urging Pabbie to shuffle back and allow Elsa some space.

"I-I saw- I saw-…" Elsa tried to answer, but failed as she folded even more in on herself.

Even though she had taken down several criminals, Kristoff was surprised by just how insecure she was in her role. Her fears for her sister and her discovery seemed paradoxical to the danger she willingly placed herself in. In his own opinion, she would have to confront those fears if she planned to take to the dark streets on a regular basis. And he felt that _he _knew the most about these dangers, at least more so than Olaf and Pabbie, who could only reason objectively.

Taking careful steps to cross directly into Elsa's line of sight, Kristoff sat on the floor opposite her as Sven trotted over to nudge at her arm. She was startled by the dog's approach, but tentatively patted his head appreciatively.

"Elsa, are you scared of being caught?" Kristoff softly asked, removing his badge and placing it between them to show his position.

Very reluctantly, Elsa turned back to him and slowly nodded. Her shoulders were hunched over in a way that could only be uncomfortable. She glanced to Olaf, who stood with his back forced into an upright position when he spotted her eyes on him. The hint was understood; as Elsa relaxed her shoulders and leant back against the wall. Immediately her breathing became much deeper and she seemed to gather her thoughts.

"If I'm caught, then everything my family worked for is lost," She answered, routinely inhaling fully through her nose and out through her mouth. "The company will be shut down, I will be imprisoned for my powers, if not my crimes, and Anna will be left completely alone."

"Is that what you're scared of? Leaving Anna alone?" Kristoff kindly pressed. "Well, that won't happen. I can pull strings at the precinct, I can keep the police off your scent. And if it really comes to it, there's always your cousin in Corona. Anna will never be alone."

"No," Elsa agreed, a hard determination falling over her imperceptibly fearful eyes. "Because she is my sister. She will never be alone. But I'm scared I'll hurt her. I did it before, and one day, whatever happens, I may do it again."

"Well then, just don't," Kristoff simply recommended. "And if you ever think you will, walk out of the room before you can."

The thought had apparently never really occurred to Elsa before. Upon processing the idea, she visibly relaxed and breathed far more naturally than she had previously. Sven rested his head on her leg, with his most fond eyes on. She scratched behind his ear and then folded her arms.

"I'd like to go home." Elsa simply said, sounding more tired than she had previously. The past few hours had drained her physically and emotionally. All she wanted was to go home and have a pizza. Or whatever was left over of Tiana's reception meal for Prince Naveen.

Pabbie felt her forehead and looked into her eyes, assessing her health. She seemed far better than when she had been brought in.

"You should probably stay on the IV for another few hours," He theorised, having no proper equipment and only the report he had heard of Anna's drug experience yesterday. "But I don't see why you can't sleep in your own bed. Just make sure to have plenty of fluids. Do you still have the bike?"

Realising her mistake, Elsa shook her head dejectedly. The bike would have to be recovered as soon as possible if her charade was going to continue. Anyone who found it could put together the appearance of the Vigilante and ownership of the vehicle.

"I'll take her back," Kristoff offered, rising from the damp floor and brushing down his trousers. Sven leapt to his feet beside his partner. "And we'll make up a cover story if anyone asks what the mighty Elsa Noble is doing in a police car."

Though she was immensely grateful, Elsa didn't say a word as she got to her feet and lifted her IV bag from the rack it hung on. She was still slightly uneasy on her feet, so Kristoff took a hold of one arm whilst Sven kept close on her other side. With a single hand, she paused them and stumbled off by herself.

"Just so you all know," The cop said to everyone in the room. "I want in on this operation now. If you're going to have an effect, you'll need police help."

* * *

><p>As a house guest, Prince Naveen was wild and possessed endless energy. As a business investor, he was evaluative if distracted. As a tourist, the royal kept wondering off and was largely oblivious to the ways of real life. At least twice he had purposefully walked into a burly guy who Anna just <em>knew <em>was trouble to antagonise. The first time, his security team had arrived to settle the situation. When he did it again, Anna had pulled him away from the brawl waiting to happen and did her best to explain why people in the Mountains didn't do that. He really was becoming more trouble than she could handle.

It didn't help that Elsa had barely made an effort for the visit. After finally arriving home last night, in the company of Officer Bjorgman no less, she had said minimal niceties to the Prince and disappeared into her room under the pretence of a sudden cold. The claims of illness hadn't stopped her from attending the required tour of the company, which, in fairness, had taken longer than intended due to Naveen's poor focus. But once they had finished, she had swiftly pardoned herself and disappeared back to the mansion. This left Anna to continue trying to sell the idea of investing in Arendelle by herself.

Although, no matter where she took Naveen, she couldn't help but wonder what was happening with Elsa. She was being abnormally secretive, even for a recluse. It was making Anna concerned that she was once again cutting herself off from the world and that she was losing herself in the realm of business. Alternatively, and this was only a wild, private theory; the younger Noble couldn't help but question the possibility of Elsa seeing some.

That, of course, was wildly unlikely. Elsa had never once shown the slightest interest in anyone and barely spoke beyond her small circle of friends. The opportunity to meet a guy (or girl, Anna was not ruling that surprise out) probably hadn't arisen at all. All Elsa did, every day, was go to work and go home. No more than a few meetings keeping her away from her familial life.

But that in itself was also strange. It made absolutely no sense for the board to call meetings when they all knew the importance of Prince Naveen's visit. Surely, they would want the CEO in constant contact with the investor to ensure the relationship. So why on Earth would Goddard, or Jameson or Pabbie, be assembling so frequently? Anna got the distinct impression there was something else going on and she did not like the idea that something was demanding so much of Elsa's time.

"Zo, what did you call zhis place?" Naveen asked, observing his new environment intently.

He had changed out of his royal uniform and dressed down into clothes which still set him apart from everyone else in the Mountains. No one had clothes as well tailored as Naveen's beige slacks, pine-brown woollen jumper, red tie and a Stetson workers hat. If this was fashionable in Maldonia, then the micro-nation seemed stuck in the 1920s.

His team of bodyguards, all of whom were uninterested in conversation and had the subtlety of a rhinoceros, were spread out along the street to simultaneously keep the Prince protected and hidden. It simply wouldn't do to have the people aware that a future monarch was mingling amongst them. Therefore, there was one guard walking ten metres ahead of them and another an equal distance behind them. A third kept parallel to them across the street, although he would be of little use in high traffic. Nevertheless, they carried out their eagle-like watch over their employer, and were apparently satisfied with his safety.

"This area's called the Mountains," Anna explained for the fourth time. "It's not the classiest of districts, but it is where you'll find the most culture. I think there're a few jazz clubs nearby."

They meandered past an old homeless man, who was quietly asking for any spare change. Feeling moved by the destitution, Anna dropped a ten in his lap while Naveen watched the beggar with interest. He did not, however, dig into the fraction of his vast wealth to help the man. Instead, he followed Anna after receiving a hard, tired look from the bum.

"Your idea of culture, et es flawed, I zhink." Naveen commented, marginally disgusted by the dirt piling up in the gutters and the state of the people they encountered.

"Well, what's it like in Maldonia? Don't you have the poor there as well?" Anna asked back, touchy over his attitude towards her home city.

"Not as I know," He answered, heartily kicking a can like a football. "We are a small country, less people zhan are living en zhis town. But lots of resources. We 'ave a 'igh level of 'uman development. A 'igh average wage, also."

"Good for you," Anna said, perhaps annoyed. "Meanwhile, in Arendelle, our economy isn't so stable."

If she were actually asked to give opinions or quote news on the state of the Arendelle economy, there wasn't an awful lot she could say. Elsa had always been the one to keep a meticulous eye on stock rises and falls. Anna was just there, paying attention but never really learning anything. This was the first time she had done something close to official Noble Corporation business. But she wasn't going to give up in the company's objective due to lack of preparation. That wasn't really her style. All it would take was just a little pressure on Naveen's human concern.

"Do you know why the Mountains are like this?" She asked, receiving the expected shake of the head from Naveen. "It's because a lot of the small chains or individual companies in Arendelle relied on my parents' work. They got investment, which allowed them to do research and bring in a revenue which made the city attractive. But when they… died. When they died, investors didn't trust their replacements. So research had to be cut back and jobs were lost. Then shops shut down when people started moving away, until the Mountains fell into depression. If more money came into the company, then I think Elsa is hoping we can improve the living conditions."

"Elsa es you sister, yes?" Naveen replied, apparently distracted another woman. This annoyed Anna greatly that a future monarch was this ignorant to the people. "Because you do not look very alike."

If Anna had a quarter for every time someone pointed that out, she could have paid for the research herself. It was true that, as close relatives, Elsa and Anna did look quite different. The eldest child had always been the perfect archetype; clever, beautiful, athletic and a high metabolism to boot. Anna, on the other hand, had only received lesser gifts in these regards. Her exam results showed that she was an average student, and she was much shorter with a less desirable hair colour. In her opinion, blonde was much better than red. As for sporty, she lacked the physical strength to be even a mediocre teammate, as her brief foray into baseball had shown.

This was what she saw whenever anyone made the comparison. The perfection that was Elsa and the lesser variant that was Anna. It was embarrassing when she thought about it. And it made Anna thirsty.

"Hey, do you want a drink?" She suddenly offered, catching Naveen's attention almost immediately.

"Drink? As en alcohol?" He inquired, receiving affirmation both times. "But et's only one in zhe afternoon!"

"But it's, like, what? Eight in the evening in Maldonia?" Anna countered, linking arms with the Prince and leading him around a corner to the nearest bar she knew. Coincidentally, it was also one she worked at.

The bodyguards could only chase after them as Naveen fell into eager step with his escort. When _Oaken's _finally came into view, Anna had no qualms about pulling the future King through the door and into the midday rush that gripped the restaurant. Most of the tables had been claimed by families, with many of the working staff marching between guests, kitchen and bar. The bar itself was remarkably clear, as only the perpetually happy face of Oaken moved along the counters. Anna felt a brief sense of unease when she realised she hadn't been in the restaurant since she collapsed.

"Anna! Yoo-hoo!" Oaken greeted delightedly. They had shared a few words in the hospital, where he had given her the rest of the week off. He was pleasantly surprised, then, when his favourite employee wandered in with a blue-blooded patron. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks," She answered, pulling up a barstool with Naveen. "Do you recognise my friend?"

"Oh ja," Oaken exclaimed, performing the surprising feat of dropping to one knee. "I am honoured, Your Majesty, to have you here. Is zhere anything I can get you?"

"A oui!" Naveen happily responded, amazed to find a fellow European, if from much north. "I would like your best beer, and one for Miss Noble."

Oaken made a subtle glance to Anna, well aware of her liberal liking of the powerful drink. Legally, he wasn't allowed to serve alcohol before six in the evening and he was especially not allowed to serve it to a minor. But he was also in no position to deny a Prince, who most likely held diplomatic immunity. Besides, he had allowed Anna the odd drink after a long shift and she had never become stupidly inebriated under his roof. In his opinion, the drinking age in Arendelle only encouraged underage consumption. Back in Europe, the rules were more relaxed; particularly in southern countries. Indeed, Oaken fondly recalled his visits to Oktoberfest as a teenager. It was for this reason that he decided, just this once, to supply the pair.

"Very vell, one moment, ja?" He answered, stepping back to the staircase and descending to basement where such drinks were kept.

Naveen and Anna sat in silence for a few moments, each wondering whether to attempt a new conversation. They got on reasonably well, but they simply weren't comfortable with the impersonal nature of the visit. The three body guards had spread themselves out around the bar in a continuously suspicious pattern for the diners, who watched with limited interest.

Anna wondered whether she should bring up the Maldonian interest in the company again, whilst Naveen had his mind on quite a different topic. Namely; a New Orleans chef whom he had snubbed the night before. Despite the few, brusque interactions they had had, the Prince found himself greatly fascinate by the southern enigma. He had half a mind to ask his host about the woman, perhaps geared towards the chance of a dance at the ball tomorrow night.

When the silence became too much, Naveen decided to break the silence in a different way then he intended.

"Anna, where es zhe bathroom?"

* * *

><p>After a bodyguard attempted to follow him into the Men's Room, Naveen promptly ordered him out and found some privacy in the furthest stall from the door. He didn't sit or do any of the things people might expect him to do in such a room. Instead, he simply leant against the wooden frame and sighed heavily.<p>

Truthfully, all he was after was a few minutes to himself; away from the pressures of representing his family and having to pretend to be something he didn't see himself as. When he was a child, being a prince was all good fun. The responsibilities of the Kingdom seemed so far away. All he had to do was learn his lessons and turn up to banquets when required. Now; he had to travel halfway across the world so he could negotiate trade with a foreign company which he didn't really understand, before travelling on to the European Assembly in two days' time as Ambassador. When he finally did make it back to his marble palace, it was more than likely his father would include him in a very disturbing security summit with the neighbouring countries. There was no fun anymore, no time for what he _wanted _to do.

Having choice was part of the reason he had been so rude to Tiana the night before. No one had asked him what he might like. They had only offered him the food of his native country when he would be just as happy sampling American culture. In hindsight, the way he put it was probably the worst way to go. He would make it a point to apologise profusely to the chef when he next saw her. There must be some way to show how sorry he was.

Taking a few more minutes in the stall, Naveen recounted everything he had heard about the Noble Corporation so far. The tired, troll-like Dr Pabbie had been particularly proud of his research into regenerative medicines, which were experimental but could be improved with more funding. Those could be useful for amputee soldiers if they worked properly. The elusive Elsa Noble had spent a long time explaining the advantages of adaptive antibiotics, especially as a new strain of flu was making its way into the Maldonian Capital. These, of course, would be produced faster if and when investment was sent over. And then Anna had described the state of affairs in the local economy, another problem which could be fixed by throwing money into the Noble Corporation.

He would have to speak more with his hosts before the party and negotiate just _how much_ the company required.

Stepping back out into the quiet bathroom, with only one other patron by the sink. Not wanting to look unhygienic, the Prince washed his hands out of social pressure. Once he had wetted his hands, he spared a glance to the man at the next taps. His companion was quite well dressed for the 'Mountains', a he sceptically believed the streets were called. In a top hat and tails, the man was the closest to well-dressed Naveen had seen in the city.

"Excuse me, fella," The man asked in a familiar accent. "D'ya have any soap?"

"Oh, yes," Naveen answered, handing over the pale yellow lump. "Your accent. You are from New Orleans, yes?"

The man gave a hearty laugh. "Why, yes. I suppose I am a child of the Bayou State. Louisiana, born and bred. If I may comment, your accent is more exotic than mine."

Naveen gave a good-natured grin and pretended to evaluate his new friend's comment, earning a snort of humour.

"I am from Portugal," He lied, having been strictly told not to disclose his actual nationality or position on the social ladder. "A wonderful place. Visit, if you ever get zhe chance."

"Well, I do hope to travel," The man replied, wandering off to the towel rack . Naveen followed soon after. "In my line of work, I might reach there some day."

Patting his hands dry, the Prince heard a sudden _click_ and felt something clamp down on his fingers. Both men withdrew their hands at the same time, both surprised by the sharp sound. However, Naveen did not see the New Orleans gentleman quickly bury a skull shaped talisman into his pocket. Instead, he focussed on keeping his foreign swears internalised and inspected the pin-prick wound.

"Ashidanza!" He liberally exclaimed, waving his fingers to dispel the pain.

"Good lord," The man agreed, heading to leave the bathroom. "The mechanisms on that rack need changing."

And with a tip of his hat, the Louisianan exited the room, leaving Prince Naveen to grit his teeth at the discomfort as he washed away the small amount of blood the bite of machinery had pulled. The cut was not particularly large, only a few millimetres across, so he felt it was unworthy to mention to Oaken when he returned to his drink.

He didn't particularly think about the incident again until he began to feel ill that evening.

* * *

><p><strong>Please Review.<strong>


	12. Chapter 11

**Voilá! Another instalment, only slightly behind time. I should warn you all, dear readers, that I have exams coming up soon; so updates may become more delayed as the weeks go on. I really chose the wrong time of year to start all this. Should I need to go on hiatus, I'll warn you all in advance and try to find the best place to pause. But by mid-June I'll be free to write this story as much as I want. **

**In response to JJ12, I'm afraid I won't be putting a cape on Elsa for the moment. I did think about it when I first starting planning this story, but then (with **_**The Incredibles**_** to back me up on this) I realised that a cape would be more of a hindrance; especially as it would always be getting caught on her icy constructs. I do like your idea though, and there may be variations of the costume to come in the future.**

**As always, a huge thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review this story (especially Artsoccer, who made me laugh with a very succinct review of Hans).**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Elsa watched her refection with an air of loathing disinterest. The dress she had chosen for the evening was functional, conservative and sophisticated. Everything her colleagues (and few friends) would expect of her. Most of the dress was a forest green colour, which swept from her collar bones to just above her feet in a blend of cotton and silk which would be the envy of any high school ball she could have attended in her teenage years. Of course, having been home schooled, the opportunity had thankfully never arisen. A stretch of black covered her shoulders and most of her neck, mainly to avoid revealing any bruises she had gained in her failed confrontation with Facilier. A pair of heavy silk, turquoise gloves were drawn to her elbows and were adorned with a similar pattern of red and purple teardrops to the ones on her bust. In this fashion statement, Elsa would look like everything everyone expected her to be. Coincidentally, it was everything Elsa felt reluctant to be and that was where her disinterest stemmed from.<p>

Her loathing was directed at, rather than her clothing, her unceasing analysis of what went wrong for her the other night. She had had the perfect opportunity to beat bloody sense into that grinning bastard. Instead, she was left with vivid hallucinations of Anna's death for nearly twelve hours after the incident and most likely bruised ribs from her painful hyperventilation. Every breath reminded her that a drug dealer had got the better of her. Facilier had mocked her, hurt her, hurt _Anna_ and still lived to tell the tale. If, or rather _when_, they met again Elsa would not fall for his tricks. No. The Arendelle Vigilante would be ready.

And, due to this quest for redemption, Elsa had chosen to wear the blue-and-white suit beneath her dress. She was also deliberating on a name. 'Arendelle Vigilante' was a mouthful.

Satisfied that the stolen suit was not visible over her collar or under her skirt, she stepped away from the mirror to gaze out the window. From her dressing room, the driveway and a section of the garden was laid out like a theatre for Elsa. Several floors below, cars cruised down the gravelled road and unloaded their passengers in all their moneyed glory. Board members, Heads of Departments, the Arendelle Upper Class. Other notable investors. One business and personal rival. The only arrival Elsa actually smiled about was the yellow cab which had to be escorted by a walking guard. Unsurprisingly, it was Olaf who leapt out when the public vehicle stopped, and he giddily waddled down the red carpet unconcerned by the critical glances from the other, older guests. His standing in their eyes probably wasn't aided by his snow white suit with black buttons. But if it made him happy, there was no real harm in it. Fashion be damned.

Down on the lawns the guests were already mingling, enjoying the summer evening with vapid, privileged conversations about the shameful state of an economy they weren't bothering to help. Or Elsa imagined that was what they must be talking about. She couldn't tell what they were saying, but she could watch with disdain as a certain redheaded man strolled over to introduce himself to Olaf. Hans had continued the royal theme of his suits, a style which had her friend in awe as he handed the shorter man a glass of champagne. Elsa couldn't help but notice that Hans kept glancing around the grounds, almost as if he was looking for something. A glimpse of Prince Naveen? Or Anna? But that didn't make sense. He was looking _away _from the house. He was searching for something in the tree line.

Before she could question this further, Elsa was distracted by a loud knocking from the door. At first she thought it might be her sister, who had spent most of the day running around the mansion in her ball gown. It was more than obvious that Anna was wildly excited for the party. This was the first, official party in her childhood home that she could be part of _and _she had full consent from the actual owner. Elsa was considering opening up the house for parties more if Anna was this happy. She never wanted that smile to go away.

However, she was surprised when Prince Naveen entered at her invitation.

"'Allo, Miss Noble," He greeted, hesitantly. "I 'ope I am not interrupting?"

"No, no. Please, come in, Your Majesty," Elsa assured, pulling her dressing table chair to the centre of the room for him to sit on. But he remained standing. "And call me Elsa, please."

Although she hadn't spent much time with her honoured guest, it seemed as if Naveen was quickly coming down with an illness. He was quieter than he had been previously, his face more serious. His tanned skin was tinted a sickly colour which was almost indistinguishable from the pale green of his suit, with his eyes so tired he forced them open and looked a bit like a frog because of it. Still handsome, or so Elsa would think if she had an opinion, but definitely under the weather.

"Elsa, grazie," Naveen thanked. There was something about his symptoms which seemed familiar. "I feel we 'ave not spoken as much as we should. Zhere es quite an obvious matter we should talk about."

She had been dreading this discussion. "Yes, there is. I'm sorry I haven't been present. There were matters in the city I had to take into consideration."

It wasn't a complete lie. More of a vague truth. Hopefully this wouldn't impact on the company's chances of investment.

"I understand," Naveen agreed. "You are zhe most emportant person in Arendelle. I observe that you 'ave more enfluence zhan zhe Mayor. What an unlikable person 'e es! En Maldonia, I am often distracted by similar zhings."

He grinned without any humour, his eyes unfocussed on Elsa as they glided along the room.

"So, I 'ave decided zhat I will recommend envestment to my papa," He stated, almost nonchalantly. However, both were glad he had cut to the chase that quickly. But that wasn't the only thing he had to say on the matter. "I zhink I can persuade him to send as much as you need. So long as you use ze capital to 'elp zhe Mountains recover."

Elsa didn't quite know what to think of this curious request. Improving the public wealth of Arendelle had always been high on her list, although she thought smaller businesses would return if she brought the Noble Corporation back to its previous high standing. Yet as Naveen stood there, deadly serious about his demand, she decided she could organise an aid program. To hell with Weselton's laissez-faire. The Noble Corporation, with her personal approval, would loan out the money to business owners once the stocks became stable. Perhaps she could twist the wording to portray the scheme as promotion for the company, if only to get it through the board room.

"That's fine. I'll do it. I planned to anyway," Elsa answered, glancing into the mirror to provide a relief from the unknowingly tense moment. "But, why? Why do you want to help the Mountains?"

Naveen flushed red, or would have if his skin was a healthy colour.

"I was speaking to your Tiana," He said, the suave bearings of a Prince vanishing into the form of a bashful teenager. "I was apologising for my behaviour when I arrived. I offered to 'elp 'er cook. I never really do anything for myself. We spoke, as you say, cordially and we got to zhe state of zhe Mountains. Anna had told me about zhe conditions and when I found out Tiana lives zhere, I decided to 'elp. She es a remarkable girl."

His honesty and genuine concern for the woman he snubbed touched Elsa. It also made her wonder what had triggered this sudden turn-around. Last time she had spoken to Tiana, the chef had still been stewing in anger over their introduction. Perhaps, from the sound of this, those feelings weren't as hateful as once-thought.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Elsa found herself saying, while the repressed, nosy aspect of her personality screamed for answers. "I hope you enjoy your party. Anna and… Hans have put a lot of effort into this."

Naveen smiled, but then suddenly seemed as if he was about to fall over as he looked momentarily queasy. He stumbled, and Elsa instinctively reached out to guide him to the chair. Once he was secure she handed him a glass of water which she had left on her dressing table. After a long drink, he seemed to recover quite quickly. The bout of dizziness passed like nothing Elsa had ever seen. Although, upon inspection, she recognised a few of his symptoms from a previous encounter.

"Are you alright?" She asked, briefly placing her hands against his forehead. His temperature was raised marginally and his skin was slightly slimy.

"Oui, et es just fatigue," Naveen was adamant on this, pulling himself to his feet. "I zhink zhe jet-lag es catching up with me. I may 'ave a small nap before zhe party begins."

Without saying much more, the Prince hobbled out of her dressing room in search of a spot to sleep. This left Elsa to analyse what she had just seen. Naveen was definitely off colour, it was hard to miss. He appeared to be suffering a headache, and was low on energy. Typically, an observer might identify these signs as those of a new strain of a cold. But Elsa had seen these same signs not two days previously, only a few hours before Anna had collapsed. Granted, her sister's case had not been quite as severe. But that only made Naveen's symptoms appear all the worse. Had he been given Voodoo? And if so, when?

Needing confirmation on her fears, Elsa chased Naveen down the hallways. A few of the guests had congregated in the Gallery, politely holding in their chortles as she unsteadily strode through on heels she was not used to. She decided she would change to her Vigilante boots as soon as she got back to the dressing room since she had unfortunately acclimated to them far better than any other shoe in her life. There was also the very real threat that she may actually need them before the night was over.

"Prince Naveen!" She called once he was in sight. He had taken a seat in a quiet hallway, most likely fending off another dizzy spell although he looked up at her voice all the same. "You said you had been to the Mountains? Did you, by any chance, meet a tall man from New Orleans?"

Naveen thought about for a moment, then livened up as he answered in the affirmative.

"Oui! 'E was in zhe bathroom at Senor Oaken's. 'E was a nice man," The Prince grinned slightly at the memory, unaware of the deadly nature of that 'nice man'. "Why do you ask?"

"He's just an acquaintance of mine. I wondered if he was around," This was not a complete lie on Elsa's part, which was important. It would not do now for the Prince to feel under threat. Not now that he'd agreed to fund the Noble Corporation. "Did anything _strange_ happen while you were at _Oaken's_?"

"Erm… Non. Not really." He answered, rubbing his fingertips absentmindedly. It was here that Elsa noticed a bandage wrapped around his middle and fore fingers.

"Did you cut yourself while you were there?" Elsa casually interrogated, focussing on the small wound. "Was that man there when you did it?"

"'E was, oui," Naveen replied, before pulling a largely sceptical face. "Why?"

"It's nothing to worry about, I'm just curious," She assured, fully intending to make good on her promises. If Facilier appeared here, she would not waste another chance to stop him. For now, she had to make sure the Prince couldn't be harmed. "Listen, Pabbie's downstairs. Do you want to see if he has anything to keep you awake?"

* * *

><p>From his spot in the woods, just outside the gates of the Noble Estate, Dr Facilier watched the last car sidle over the threshold with the approval of the two guards. As far as he knew, and he considered he knew a lot given the invitation list had been fed to him, everyone who was going to make an appearance at Prince Naveen's Ball was there. The Mayor, the Chief of Police, Westerguard and that goddamn redhead were now guaranteed a front row seat to the show. All that remained was for the conductor to make his entrance.<p>

He waited ten minutes before he left his hiding spot. Adjusting his tails and hat as he went, it wasn't long until the bulky guards spotted him. They guffawed at his appearance, obviously not appreciating the sartorial elegance he embodied. But it wouldn't be long until they learnt.

"Good evening, gents!" Facilier cried in greeting, raising his hat from strangely groomed hair which only made them grin more. "I'm here for a party!"

"Of course you are," The older guard laughed disbelievingly, but pulling out the guest list anyway. "Name?"

Facilier gasped dramatically, pulling the most outraged face he could muster. A hand flew to his chest as if to still his beating heart, but when he started speaking again neither guard noticed him slip it into his inside coat pocket.

"Do you not know who I _am_?" He asked, pretending to be hurt. "_Me_? You don't recognise me?"

"You're a creepy, spindly freak with his belly on show," The second guard threatened, looming on a level height with the dealer. "Now give us a name who we'll have to get rid of you, nice or not so nice."

"Alright, well I'm…" Facilier began, but then he tripped up the first guard with his cane.

Acting quicker than his relaxed, languid figure might suggest, Facilier swung with a powerful punch into the other guard's neck. He began choking in a spluttering shock which made him fall atop his companion and winding him further as his diaphragm was crushed. Facilier patiently waited whilst they scrambled to their feet, at which point he easily pushed one (he didn't pay attention to which) back to the ground. Drawing out one of his augmented aerosol cans, Facilier sprayed the standing guard as he gasped air back into his lungs. Soon after the guard fell into the woods across the road in a hallucinating mess.

With only one guard left, the dealer pressed his polished brogue into his throat with all the force he could muster.

"I'm the Shadowman." Facilier whispered, before twisting his foot and savouring the sickening _crunch_ of the guard's neck.

He dragged the corpse into the woodland brush, making sure to cover it with the leaves he had prepared for this eventuality, then straightened his coat. Pulling the skull mask from his pocket, Facilier balanced it over his eyes as he crossed the threshold into the Noble Estate.

* * *

><p>So far, in all three hours Elsa had been in the mix of the party, she hadn't seen Anna dance with anyone other than Hans Westerguard. No matter the song, regardless of the other guests, with no consideration to proximity they had just danced or drank or had hors d'oeuvres. Anything where they were together. Both looked extremely happy with the arrangement, and Anna was smiling radiantly. Hans had an equally goofy grin plastered on his face. Elsa only struggled to keep her expressionless mask in place. In fact, she had failed to pay attention to who she was talking to, much like the sickening couple in the centre of the ballroom.<p>

"…Don't you agree?" Someone, probably a wealthy conservative, asked her.

Elsa shook herself back into the moment, burying her protective sisterly thoughts for the time being. She honestly had no idea what the man had been talking, let alone who he was. He could have just given her a lecture about how Weselton's laissez faire was the greatest idea since sliced bread or how ridiculous Hans' muttonchops looked. Was this a statement she should agree with, or argue? There were just too many things to keep track of in her mind.

"Yes. Yes, I do. Wholeheartedly," Elsa decided, satisfied when the man nodded appreciatively. Now was her best chance to the interaction and find Pabbie. The issue of Prince Naveen was still a major concern. "Have you tried my chef's beignets? I'd recommend them, but if you excuse me I just need to speak with Mr Pabbie."

Sadly, she didn't get further than ten feet before one of the last people she wanted to see in the entire world sidled into her path. Even though he should be well aware of her contempt for him, Goddard had made himself very comfortable in her house. He was holding a champagne flute, one of three hundred crystal glasses Elsa had ordered for the event, very lazily. The expensive liquid dripped out when he moved, with drops falling into the first edition copy of _The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe_ he had apparently retrieved from the Noble's library; unless, by some ridiculous coincidence, he also owned one and had decided to bring it to a ball. Worse still, on one arm he had a girl who could only be less than _half _ his age. Indeed, she was most likely younger than Elsa. This was not the meeting she needed right now.

"Elsa!" Goddard cried, using a familiarity she did not appreciate. "Gorgeous party! And a gorgeous house! I don't understand why your father never had his own party here."

"Mr Goddard," Elsa replied restrainedly. "How… _nice _to see you. If you don't mind, I just need to find Pabbie."

"Nonsense! What do you want that old troll for anyway?" The fatcat asked, before turning to his female companion. "Darling, could you fetch Miss Noble a drink? I think she needs to relax!"

Obediently, the girl smiled sickeningly sweetly and sauntered off into the crowds making sure to sachet her hips as she went. Elsa pretended not to be perturbed by this and was quickly distracted by Goddard putting a heavy arm around her. She cringed and wriggled out of the hold, although the boardmember had apparently expected this. He kept close behind her.

"So! How's it all with the Maldonian? I hear he's ill! What've you been feeding him?" He inquired, holding his gaze steadily critical with all drunken joviality now absent. Elsa did not like this side of him, especially not in her home.

"He's only experiencing jet lag, I've got Pabbie looking at him now," She answered coldly, feeling the ever present storm inside her growing again. This man had a certain way of pressing her buttons which brought her dangerously close to unleashing all the power of the supernatural. "And you may be glad to know that he's agreed to fund us. But we only get it as long as we put all into research."

Goddard seemed to mistake her acceptance of the conditions for disappointment of restriction, as he casually replied with; "Well, we can always change the accounts around. Not all of it has to go to that Troll's 'regenerative ointment'."

To say Elsa was outraged by this wilful neglect of everything the company stood for would be an understatement. For a scary second, she thought she might lose the tentative hold she had on her powers and create an icy stock to restrain the despicable man, but thankfully none of this came to be with resit due to the conductive nature of her Vigilante suit beneath her dress.

"I thought I was clear the other day, Goddard," Elsa lowly warned. "Decisions on where spending goes and where investment comes from are to go directly through me. I do not want you using money designated for bettering mankind to buy equipment we don't need! If I hear about anything like this again, I will fire you and make sure you never find another corporate job."

Whereas her first threat to him had Goddard terrified for his continued business influence, this time he regarded her coolly, took a pointed sip from his glass and explained his position.

"You were very clear, _Queen Elsa_, and you were right about the boardmember contract," He admitted, keeping his gaze harshly level with hers. His reference to her mocking title stung her. "But, having researched the conditions, I found that there was more to your father's arrangement with the board. Basically, if the board unanimously votes no confidence in you, you lose your job. And, having emailed around, it turns out _none_ of the boardmembers like you. The only person keeping you and your druggie sister supported is that old troll you're so fond of. So imagine what might happen if an accident were to befall _him_."

Simultaneously, Elsa's hatred and fear of Goddard swelled. It was true. If the board wanted to, they could dismiss her without any guilt on their part. Everything was legal in this sense. The only protection she had was Pabbie's continued presence in the Noble Corporation. Of course, Elsa could fire Goddard right now, in the middle of a party celebrating Prince Naveen's visit. But then someone else would take his place, and would likely emulate his predecessor enough to hold the same opinion of the CEO. She would be ultimately left in the same position. What little control she had of the family company had just vanished.

"You will leave Pabbie alone," Elsa found herself threatening. "Otherwise you may find yourself fighting something you can't deal with."

She could feel the ice forming on the tips of her fingers, a fact everyone else was unaware of due to her thick gloves. If Goddard was aware of her alter ego, who may not be as forgiving, he could find himself in a similar position to George Jones. Although perhaps this time there would be more than one icicle embedded in more than one body part. A small part of her said the Arendelle Vigilante should pay him a visit.

At this point Goddard's barely legal arm candy made a reappearance with two glasses of champagne. She offered Elsa one with a vacant grin, although the Cheshire Cat face fell when her offer was rebuffed so coldly. The host of the party took her leave at this point, not noticing how ice cubes which weren't there previously formed in the left behind drinks. Thankfully, Goddard and the girl were too preoccupied with exaggeratedly enjoying themselves to spot the change either.

Elsa's attention was quickly caught again by the long-awaited appearance of Pabbie. He had slid silently into the room, making a beeline towards her with a notably anxious expression. Whatever news he carried was obviously not what Elsa wanted to hear but equally what she had expected.

"How is he?" She asked by way of greeting, walking briskly around the circumference of the room to prevent anyone from purposefully hearing them.

"He's had a few glasses of water, and I've given him a few painkillers," Pabbie reported, sparing a glance towards the long hallway. "But his symptoms match all the articles on Voodoo and all the police reports Kristoff sent us. At some point Facilier's managed to inject him."

Elsa digested this, wondering how to deal with this potential international disaster. Like Anna, Prince Naveen would soon experience a Voodoo attack. Like Anna, he had encountered Facilier and came away with a delayed poisoning. A delayed poisoning. Her lamentations unexpectedly brought her to a new line of enquiry. While she had been hunting Facilier down and beating herself up over her failures, Elsa had completely failed to realise the difference between her experience with Voodoo and Anna's.

"Pabbie, in those police reports was it mentioned how long it was between a sighting of Facilier and Voodoo taking effect?" She enquired; realisation and a new theory dawning on her.

The old man thought over this briefly, before calculating a statistic based on what he read. "Most of the victims saw Facilier twice: when they first met and again, just before Voodoo entered the bloodstream. On average, maybe sixteen hour passed."

"And did he go near them during the second encounter?"

"No… No, he didn't," Pabbie quickly made the same realisations Elsa had. "And he never had a chance to sell it to them, either."

"Apart from when he used it on me, which was instantaneous," Elsa winced at the memory, her skin still crawling from the effects of the drug. "Otherwise there was no way to inject them with it. So he must have given it to them in the first meeting."

"The blood samples!" Pabbie jumped when he thought of this, having to stop their wandering for just a moment. "In every blood sample, including Anna's, there was small evidence of molecular nanocages."

These crucial facts made all of Facilier's erratic movements make sense. As all the reports agreed, it was only the self-styled bokor who made and sold Voodoo. There was no way he could inject Anna or any of his other victims with the drug to cause their collapses if it was an instantaneous effect, like it had been with Elsa. And now, with the news of the nanocages and his frequent returns, his plot was obvious. He had been testing remote poisoning, most likely to find out his range for detonating the molecular restraints on Voodoo and how long the drug remained inside the body before it was filtered out. Elsa shamed herself when she realised she had ignored the fact Facilier had even referred to Anna as a 'test subject' in front of her. All this had been in preparation for Prince Naveen's visit. At least, there was no other reason for the coincidence of a drug dealer appearing mere _weeks _before a royal. Especially when Facilier had gone to the trouble of injecting Naveen as well.

"Guys!" Olaf called in hushed voice from behind them. Both Elsa and Pabbie leapt around to look him, all three wide-eyed and close to panic. "I don't mean to alarm anyone, and this is a great party, but Facilier's in the garden!"

"What?" Elsa whispered back, immediately peering towards the nearest window. "Are you sure?"

"I was admiring the flowerbeds on the patio," Olaf needlessly related. All he had to do was confirm whether Facilier was there or not. "And I swear I saw that bone mask next to the lake! He's back for Anna!"

"Olaf, he's not after Anna," Elsa replied, wanting to distance her psyche from _that_ goldmine of fear. "It's the Prince. Why is he hiding in the garden?"

"He's probably biding his time," Pabbie reasoned, holding on to his calm demeanour much better than the other two. "If he's going to poison the Prince, he'll probably want it to be public. Make sure people see Naveen die in the_ Noble_ Mansion."

As if all the fates were against them, Kai burst through doors to the ballroom and _clinked_ a glass to gather everyone's attention. A uniform silence fell across the room, keeping all the guests quiet in their expectation of seeing the famed Prince Naveen.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Kai started, milking the moment. "May I present to you, His Royal Majesty Prince Naveen!"

The Prince looked far more like his usual self as he glided through the doorway with a woman in tow. Elsa half expected him to collapse at that moment due to Facilier's interference, but was actually pleasantly surprised by the fact he remained upright. The band; a jazz group known as the _Firefly Five, plus Lou_, broke into a rendition of classical Maldonian music on their trumpets, making the beat livelier than it really should have been. The noises did not help Elsa relax.

"Facilier will probably attack after the Prince has been in here for a while," Pabbie pointed out, reasonably. "That way, his death will be linked more with you than an assassin."

"Well, he's not going to do it, because I'm going to beat the crap out of him." Elsa determinedly argued, glaring out of the nearest window into the darkening garden.

"That's the most badass thing I've ever heard you say!" Olaf giggled, having separated himself from the mood of the little group. It wasn't even that badass.

As Elsa was about to march away from the party to change, Pabbie grabbed her arm to restrain her. He looked at her imploringly, willing her to wait for him to explain his idea. Knowing he would only do so for the best of reasons, Elsa stopped and turned to listen.

"You can't just disappear at your own party," He reminded her. "Facilier will probably not attack for a while yet. Make sure enough people see you to place you here, and then go."

Elsa nodded, slowly, before tiptoeing to the head of the room where almost everyone would be able to see her, if only for a few minutes.

"Olaf," Pabbie said once Elsa was visible to the guests. There were still other factors which had to be taken care of. "Call Kristoff, tell him to get here as soon as possible. I'm going to make sure Anna is out of the way. It will help Elsa focus."

Olaf just nodded, before waddling off to make the call.

* * *

><p>Although she hadn't realised who Naveen's company was when they had first entered the room, it didn't take long for Elsa to recognise the normally determined face of Tiana beaming as she was swept around in a traditional Maldonian dance. Tiana had never seemed the type to be enamoured by anyone, least of all a Prince whom she had only met two days ago. But here she was, enjoying herself. Elsa didn't actually know she could dance.<p>

This shouldn't have been her first observation as she surveyed the ballroom. Instead, she should be counting how many people spotted her before making a well-timed exit to ensure her secret was kept safe. Unfortunately, most of the people were stuck gawking at the Prince, who they had probably never heard of before last week. Almost no one saw her, and it was of the utmost importance at least twenty registered her presence.

Luckily, an eye-catching individual snuck up on Elsa at that moment. When she pounced on her sister, Elsa gasped loudly and drew a few curious stares for the disturbance of the loud blues echoing over the high ceiling.

"Hey! It'sh you!" Anna slurred, draping herself over Elsa's shoulder and laughing madly. "Where've you been?! I've been shaying to Hansh, I've been shaying 'I want to shee if my shishter can dance'!"

She stumbled around to stand beside Elsa, gloriously tipsy and swaying lightly from side to side. The elder Noble could only wonder just how much the underage woman had been drinking; the rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes could only say so much about her condition.

"Anna," Elsa said sternly. "Are you drunk?"

Almost as if she was conspiring, Anna leant in to Elsa's ear before half-whispering, half-giggling "Maybe!"

Even if there wasn't the impending threat of an assassination attempt, the evening could still be disastrous for the Noble Corporation. Already quite a few of the guests must have seen Anna's less than sober decorum, and were probably reminded of a similar incident from four years ago. Who knew what the investors were thinking. If one of the heiresses of a billion dollar company had consumed this much alcohol at age nineteen, they may not take the business seriously. It certainly wouldn't raise their standing in Goddard's eyes.

"Maybe you should have a glass of water? Lie down for a bit." Elsa suggested, hoping her sister would see through her stupor to the importance of the evening. Sadly, she didn't.

"Nah! I'm fine!" The redhead became adamant on proving her sobriety, walking in a poorly balanced straight line in front of Elsa. Soon after, her attention was caught by Tiana's gleeful presence on the dancefloor. "Aw! Look at Tia! She'sh sho happy!"

"Anna, please, quiet." Elsa attempted to shush, unfortunately to no avail.

"You need to find shomeone, Elsha!" Anna continued, looking her dead in the eye.

Now that Anna's focus had shifted onto her love life, Elsa took the chance to ignore her sister's slurred words to count the number of people staring at them. There were enough now to place her in the ballroom and if she could just excuse herself from her sister, she'd be able to get even with a man she despised more than anyone else.

"Yesh! That'sh what you need! A guy!" Anna continued, before stopping and gasping. "Then you could double date with me and Hansh!"

"Wait, what?" Despite herself, Elsa's determination had been corrupted by this drunken admission. "You're dating Hans?"

"Yesh!" Anna proudly declared, standing unsteadily resolute. "He ashked me out about half an hour ago. I like him. And if you don't like him, then tough!"

She stuck her tongue out, making Elsa angry enough to reach for her glove and prepare to freeze Hans Westerguard to the side of a jet.

"Where ish he?" Anna asked when she realised Hans was nowhere in sight. Unfortunately, someone appeared at their side to prevent Elsa from making her timely escape.

"A-ha! Miss Noble and Miss Noble," Mayor Weselton exclaimed in an overly cordial manner. "How is the evening treating you?"

"Very well, thank you," Elsa said through gritted teeth, covering Anna's mouth to prevent her from speaking. "And yourself?"

"I haven't enjoyed myself this much since my election party," Weselton replied, swiping a gloved hand through his unconvincing toupee. On the dance floor, more couples had filtered into a ballroom movement which the Mayor motioned to in a gentlemanly fashion. "Would you care for a dance? A pretty girl like you shouldn't be sitting on the side lines."

Elsa dully thought she could do whatever she wanted because it was her goddamn house, but she withheld herself from any biting remarks in the name of holding onto political alliances. She was feeling the pressure more than ever now that she had to go find Facilier.

"Sadly, I don't dance," Elsa declined, trying to find any substitute so she could get away. "But Anna's very good at it."

Anna found herself delighted by the idea of dancing again, and wasted no time in grabbing onto the Mayor and pulling him to the dancefloor.

"Yeah! Let'sh go make my boyfriend jealoush!" She called, followed by a strangely enthusiastic old man.

"Watch out," He warned, following her on spry feet. "My mother always said I dance like a monkey with the face of a chicken!"

Before anything else could get in her way, Elsa discretely but hurriedly made her way out of the ballroom. Once safely out of the way in an unused cloakroom she pulled off the stuffy dress and stowed it under a pile of Anna's winter coats. With her mask on and braid down, she leapt out of the window and softly onto the lawn.

Her path of pursuit for the drug dealer took her past one of the ballroom windows. She glanced through it on her way, quickly locating Prince Naveen in the centre of the room. Beside him, Mayor Weselton was prancing around Anna. She almost cringed when he dipped her sister so far that her back must have cracked.

* * *

><p>Sitting quite casually on a bench, which was positioned on the opposite side of the ballroom to Elsa, Facilier watched the party unfurl from the shadows. He had promised himself he wouldn't kill the Prince until he had been in the party for at least fifteen minutes, but the itch was too tempting to scratch. Having put weeks of thought into this single act, Facilier desperately wanted to see his plan come to fruition. One dead Prince, three million big boys for a nice house in New Orleans from the White Knight. It seemed pretty even to him.<p>

Prince Naveen flitted across the window's line of vision, with a girl Facilier thought he recognised matching him in pace and mood. Any minute now, he could do it. Any minute. And then another man would go to his friends on the other side.

Any minute.

The temptation kept niggling at him, urging him to step over to the window, take out the detonator for the Voodoo and watch the show unfurl. Surely, nothing terrible would happen if he killed the Prince just a few minutes early. No one would see him. Despite all the warning about the wrath of Elsa Noble, he couldn't see her getting in the way. And the Vigilante had already been dealt with. There really wasn't anything to stop him now.

So, indulging himself, Facilier reached for the skull-shaped talisman around his neck and rose from his seat. Five minutes, and he'd be out of here.

But when he stepped forward, he slipped on an icy stone and fell to the ground. Angry, humiliated and knowing just who could have caused that Facilier leapt back to his feet to find the last person he expected to see.

Then a cold, bare fist smashed into his jaw and a heel span around to below his kneecap. That had taken him by surprise.

"Leave now." The Vigilante ordered, watching as Facilier spitefully stretched his jaw out and clambered to stand over her.

"Or what?" He asked, jabbing her with his cane.

She grabbed the cane and wrenched it from his grip. With one knee thrust, the Vigilante shattered the navy blue wood before swiping both splintered remains at his chest. He dodged her slices, but not before she cut below his cheekbone with a jagged claw of wood.

"Or you leave in an ambulance." She warned, pausing her relaxed attack to give him a chance to answer. This was a different approach to what he had seen last time. In the factory, it had all been confrontation. Now, the Vigilante seemed more willing to negotiate. And Facilier thought he knew why.

"It's because of _this_, isn't it?" He mocked, pulling out of his Voodoo canisters. Pointing it towards the Vigilante, he was happy to see that she took a step back. "All those fancy ice tricks are no good to you when I have this, aren't they? So what are you going to do?"

The Vigilante's answer was almost instant, and not the one Facilier wanted to hear.

"I'm going to put you down."

Aggravated by this hindrance, Facilier pressed down on the release button. However, instead of a spray flying directly into the Vigilante, the small cloud condensed and _pattered_ to ground as a toxic rain. When he tried again, he had the same result.

Then the Vigilante snatched the canister out of his hand and turned his own weapon on him.

"My ice tricks are useful with this." She taunted, before giving Facilier a heavy dose of his own drug.

He spluttered and gasped, choking on the acrid mist he had forced on hundreds of others. His legs gave out underneath him, his blood infected by the cocktail of poisons streaming across his body. It hit his brain in less than a minute; giving him visions of everything he believed in. Ghouls and monsters and shadows danced before him. He had been reduced to the wrecks he had left many others in.

But as the Vigilante turned away, preparing to look out for her police support, she failed to take into account the prolonged exposure Facilier had with Voodoo. It is a well-known development that medications used repeatedly in small doses tend to lose their effect on their users, this phenomenon being the basis of vaccinations. So when Facilier inhaled his strengthened concoction of Voodoo, which he had spent the last month working on, it hadn't had the desired effect. Instead of neutralising him, it made him all the more violent and enraged him.

The Vigilante didn't see him coming when he barrelled into her from behind.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued…<strong>

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